Warner Bros. Looking To Reboot 'Gremlins'

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by Kevin Jagernauth
January 16, 2013 10:59 PM
8 Comments

Oh please, let's not pretend be shocked anymore. Yet another beloved childhood movie that many grew up with and was near and dear to our hearts is being tossed into the possible reboot/remake mill. Just don't feed it after midnight.

Vulture reports that Warner Bros. is currently in negotiations with Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment to reboot "Gremlins." Yes, seriously. The Spielberg produced, Joe Dante directed classic, which spawned one sequel and many rumors of a "Gremlins 3" that never came to pass, has apparently been eyed for years as remake material, but proved to be too expensive. However, according to the sources who tipped off the news, it may be closer to a reality this time around. So for now, just file it under: maybe.

And lest you think Spielberg would never sully the name of a cherised movie or franchise he was involved with, here's our rebuttal: that "E.T." edit where the cops had CGI walkies talkies replace their guns; "Jurassic Park IV" and "Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull." There's always a financial reason to do something.

The big question of course is whether or not Dante will be involved. Back in 2010 he played down the notion of a sequel, but at the time seemed to think some kind of reboot was inevitable. "I’m sure it’ll happen. It’s too valuable a title to not get the remake treatment. I think it will be a remake rather than a sequel. I think they’ll start over and do a remake or a sequel," he said. And indeed, that does seem to be the case. But if you're not going to involve him, why do it at all?

So while you ponder this notion be sure to check out our feature from last summer, in case you missed it: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Joe Dante's 'Gremlins'

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More: Gremlins, Warner Bros. , Steven Spielberg

8 Comments

| Reply
STRIPE | January 17, 2013 12:35 PMReply

Warner Bros. Looking To Get 'B****slapped'
Just don't make "after midnight" jokes after....ever.
Jake | January 16, 2013 11:54 PMReply

In a perfect world a newer genre filmmaker like Joe Cornish or Drew Goddard would be able to make a Gremlins flick as dark and insane as Chris Columbus' original screenplay. If wishes were ponies, I'd have a stable full of 'em.
Rick | January 17, 2013 1:58 AM

Dan Harmon comeback train...
Tom | January 16, 2013 11:48 PMReply

I always loved the gremlin with the bunny puppet that another gremlin shoots. Hilarious. I am sure it will be CG, but the tone will not be the same (which could certainly be fine, but different). I still love the first movie and watch it every Christmas. It is an awesome mix of wacky, funny, scary, sentimental, and campy. It is a tough mix to pull off and the Bedford Falls design of the town always brought warm feelings. Even as it was exploding.
Frank | January 16, 2013 11:44 PMReply

In a way, I don't see why not. Gremlins, while beloved doesn't particularly have good actors in it. It's charming, but it's hardly an amazing movie. The creatures and tone are everything. If they can do that again and have solid actors in it, maybe it'll be great.
Jake | January 17, 2013 10:42 AM

Billy doesn't exactly set the screen ablaze.
Leonardo | January 17, 2013 1:50 AM

In a way the could do it based on the original darker Script, but you know how hollywood is they replacee the good storytelling with cheap-ass effects and even worse actors.
RNL | January 16, 2013 11:10 PMReply

The bigger question is whether they'll use puppets or CGI. Doing CGI gremlines seems to defeat the purpose; what made them endearing and funny was that they were puppets.