WarnerMedia has requested a straight to series order for an animated prequel to the Gremlins franchise, set to debut exclusively on its upcoming online streaming service. Titled Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, the series is set to take place in 1920s Shanghai following the intial meeting of 10-year old Sam Wing aka Mr. Wing and the equally young Gizmo.
“Along with a teenage street thief named Elle, Sam and Gizmo take a perilous journey through the Chinese countryside, encountering — and sometimes battling — colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore,” the series’ logline reads. “On their quest to return Gizmo to his family and uncover a legendary treasure, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.”
Initially beginning its early stages of development back in February, the prequel’s first season will total 10 episodes, that are a half-hour long each. Gotham writer, Tze Chun, will pen the series’ scripts, as well as executive-produce alongside The Americans Darryl Frank , Bull‘s Justin Falvey, and Young Justice‘s Sam Register.
The original Gremlins premiered in 1984 and was directed by Joe Dante and released by Warner Bros. The comedy horror, followed a young man who receives a weird Christmas gift in the form of a mogwai as a pet, which if not taken care of properly, can spawn a hellish batch of monsters.
Despite being a critical and commercial success, the film was heavily criticized for its casual depiction of disturbing sequences and acts of violence, coinciding with similar complaints about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. As a result, Steven Spielberg lobbied the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to alter its rating system, leading to the birth of the newly minted PG-13 rating.
The follow-up and less popular sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, was subsequently released in 1990. Both films are well known for their black comedy and gruesome depiction of violence, which is juxtaposed against its more jovial settings e.g. Christmastime and New Year’s, respectively. Large merchandising campaigns were also launched to coincide with each film’s release.
Below the teaser poster can be viewed: