The classic horror-comedy movie Gremlins hit theaters in 1984 and introduced the world to the lovable Gizmo, the evil Gremlins, and the chaos they bring. In 1990, the film spawned a sequel titled Gremlins 2: The New Batch. This second installment introduced fans to new types of Gremlins, like one made out of vegetables, an intelligent one, and one that’s made out of lightning. After that, the franchise just sort of stopped. 

Despite having plenty of diehard fans, there wasn’t any new installment in the franchise for over three decades. In that time, the movies have been referenced and the Gremlins have made cameos in movies like The LEGO Batman Movie, Ready Player One, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and many more. There was also a Mountain Dew commercial that featured them in 2021 for some reason. Other than references, cameos, and commercials, there hasn’t been any real additions to the Gremlins canon in thirty three years. 

Until now, that is. Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is an animated prequel series that was released on Max in the early half of 2023. The series follows a young Sam Wing in the 1920s as he meets and befriends Gizmo, battles an evil wizard, and takes on hordes of Gremlins and other magical beasts. This show also offers everything long-time fans have been craving for several years.

For starters, it gives these fans new canon Mogwai lore to dive into. It explains where Mogwai came from, how they came to be, and why the three rules must be followed. There are even answers to questions and debates fans have had over the years, like what makes a Mogwai good or evil. It clears up any confusion around the “don’t feed them after midnight” rule as well. Where fans have wanted to know more about these adorable creatures for a long time, it’s nice to finally receive some official explanations.

In the opening scene of the original movie, Mr. Wing refuses to sell Gizmo to Rand Peltzer. The audience assumes this is because of the dangers of a Mogwai falling into the wrong hands (and it partly is). Secrets of the Mogwai, however, gives that opening scene more meaning. Throughout the series, Sam and Gizmo grow to become close friends. Gizmo is even willing to give up going back to his home so that he can stay with Sam. Since he’s with him in his shop in 1984, the two have been together for a little over sixty years. Sam’s grandson, not knowing what they;ve been through together, sells Gizmo to Rand. Now we know that one of the reasons Sam didn’t want to sell Gizmo is because he’s his oldest friend. This adds so much more heart to the franchise.

Not only is there plenty of mayhem caused by the Gremlins, which is the exact kind of entertainment Gremlins fans want to see, but there are also some new named Gremlins introduced. In previous installments, we’ve met the likes of Stripe, Mohawk, Daffy, Lenny, Brain Gremlin, Greta, and some others. Secrets of the Mogwai adds newcomers like Claw and Noggin to that list. This is especially exciting for those of us who collect Gremlins merchandise.

The series may not be in live action or allow us to see the Gremlins made with modern puppeteering effects, but the animation is at least unique and quite beautiful. With new Mogwai lore, added heart that affects the original movies, new named Gremlins, and some of the most chaotic Gremlins mayhem that’s ever been seen, Secrets of the Mogwai gives fans just about everything they’ve wanted from the franchise. Hopefully this all leads to a new movie or some other form of installment in the future.

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