The return of one of cinema’s most recognisable creatures has hit another unexpected delay. Gremlins 3 will no longer arrive in 2027, leaving fans of the classic horror-comedy franchise waiting even longer to see what Warner Bros. has planned for the next chapter.
The latest update came with just enough footage to reignite curiosity: a Mogwai emerges from a backpack before a new theatrical date flashes across the screen. But while the teaser confirms that the franchise is still heading back to cinemas, Warner Bros. is keeping the bigger questions firmly under wraps.
Gremlins 3 now has a new release date
Warner Bros. has moved Gremlins 3 from its previously announced November 19, 2027 release date to October 6, 2028.
That pushes the third theatrical movie in the franchise almost 11 months later than originally planned and means audiences will now have to wait until 2028 for the return of the Gremlins series to the big screen.
The studio revealed the new date on September 23, accompanying the announcement with a brief teaser. The footage shows a Mogwai emerging from a backpack, followed by the message:
“10.6.28. Only In Theaters.”
The announcement confirms that Gremlins 3 remains planned as a theatrical release. However, Warner Bros. has not publicly explained why the movie’s release date was moved.
Reports confirming the new date have also not identified a specific production issue, scheduling problem or other official explanation for the change.
| Detail | Confirmed Information |
| Movie | Gremlins 3 |
| Previous release date | November 19, 2027 |
| New release date | October 6, 2028 |
| Date announced | September 23, 2026 |
| Release format | Theatrical |
| Latest teaser | Mogwai emerging from a backpack |
| Teaser date card | “10.6.28. Only In Theaters.” |
| Reason for delay | Not publicly announced |
| Final title | Not publicly announced |
| Plot | Not publicly announced |
| Cast | Not publicly announced |
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Warner Bros. gives fans a first glimpse of the returning Mogwai
The release-date delay may be frustrating for viewers who were expecting Gremlins 3 in 2027, but Warner Bros. did give fans something new to look at.
The short teaser offers the first official glimpse associated with the upcoming movie, showing a Mogwai emerging from a backpack before the new October 2028 date appears.
It is a deliberately brief tease, and it reveals almost nothing about the story.
The footage does not identify any members of the cast, disclose the plot or explain where the new chapter will take the franchise. Warner Bros. has also not publicly confirmed that the Mogwai shown in the footage is specifically Gizmo.
Still, the franchise’s signature creature is naturally at the centre of the announcement, putting Mogwai and the long-awaited return of the Gremlins mythology firmly back in the spotlight.
For now, however, the studio is keeping the project’s biggest story details secret.
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Chris Columbus is taking on a new role for Gremlins 3
One of the most significant confirmed details about Gremlins 3 involves Chris Columbus, whose connection to the franchise stretches all the way back to the original 1984 movie.
Columbus wrote the screenplay for the first Gremlins, but for the new installment he is stepping into the director’s chair while also serving as a producer.
That marks a notable change in the creative setup.
The original Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch were directed by Joe Dante, while Columbus wrote the screenplay for the 1984 original.
For Gremlins 3, Hannah Marks is writing the current screenplay from an earlier draft by Chris Columbus, Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein. Lipovsky and Stein are known for directing Final Destination: Bloodlines.
Columbus’ move from writer of the original movie to director and producer of the third theatrical chapter gives the upcoming film a particularly direct connection to the franchise’s beginnings.
It also makes his involvement one of the clearest links between the new movie and the original Gremlins.
Steven Spielberg is also returning as executive producer
Another major connection to the original franchise comes through Steven Spielberg.
Spielberg is returning as an executive producer on Gremlins 3, having previously served as executive producer on the original Gremlins.
His involvement comes through Amblin Entertainment, with Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario attached as producers for Amblin.
The production team also includes Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe of 26th Street Pictures.
Eleanor Columbus of Maiden Voyage is additionally attached as an executive producer alongside Spielberg, according to the latest production details reported by Variety.
The combination of Columbus and Spielberg gives the upcoming movie a direct connection to the filmmakers behind the original franchise, even though Joe Dante is not returning as director.
Warner Bros. previously promised “magic, mayhem and heart”
When Warner Bros. first announced the new Gremlins movie in 2025, the studio made clear that it viewed the franchise as a property with appeal stretching across generations.
Warner Bros. Pictures president of development and production Jesse Ehrman said at the time:
“Few titles are as beloved and iconic as ‘Gremlins,’ and we’re beyond excited to bring it back for both lifelong fans and a whole new generation,” Ehrman said.
He also addressed the filmmakers involved and the studio’s hopes for the theatrical return:
“It’s a privilege to be working alongside Steven [Spielberg], Chris [Columbus], and the entire creative team, and we look forward to audiences experiencing the next installment of the magic, mayhem and heart of Gremlins on the big screen in 2027.”
That statement was made when Gremlins 3 was still scheduled for 2027. With the release date now moved to October 6, 2028, the reference to 2027 reflects the original release plan rather than the current schedule.
What will Gremlins 3 be about?
That remains one of the biggest unanswered questions surrounding the movie.
Warner Bros. has not disclosed the film’s official title, plot details or casting information. The latest teaser does not reveal any story information beyond the appearance of a Mogwai and confirmation of the October 2028 theatrical release.
There is currently no confirmed information about whether familiar human characters from the earlier movies will return or exactly where the new story will take place.
What is confirmed is that the project is intended as a continuation of the theatrical Gremlins franchise rather than a newly announced reboot.
Chris Columbus’ involvement further strengthens that connection, given that he wrote the original 1984 movie.
For now, audiences will have to wait for Warner Bros. to reveal more about the story and cast.
The original Gremlins became a horror-comedy classic
To understand why the return of Gremlins 3 has attracted so much attention, it helps to look back at where the franchise began.
The original Gremlins arrived in 1984, directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus.
The story followed Billy Peltzer, a young man who receives a mysterious, furry creature called a Mogwai.
The creature comes with three crucial rules: it must be kept away from bright light, it cannot be exposed to water and it must not be fed after midnight.
Those rules eventually get broken, transforming the seemingly adorable creature into something far more dangerous and unleashing chaos on Billy’s town during the Christmas season.
The movie became a major box-office success, earning approximately $212 million worldwide against a budget of about $11 million, according to the figures cited in Variety’s coverage.
Gremlins also became closely associated with the creation of the PG-13 rating in the United States. Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were among the films cited as contributing to the industry’s decision to introduce a rating between PG and R in 1984.
Gremlins 2 developed a cult following after its theatrical run
The franchise continued with Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990.
The sequel performed considerably less strongly at the box office, earning approximately $41 million, but the movie subsequently developed a devoted cult following.
Unlike the first film, the sequel adopted a more overtly comedic and satirical approach to the premise established by the original. It expanded on the franchise’s tone while retaining the Mogwai and Gremlin mythology.
That second movie remains the franchise’s most recent theatrical installment before Gremlins 3.
More than three decades after Gremlins 2, the third theatrical movie will now become the next major chapter in the series.
The Gremlins franchise has continued beyond the movies
Even though there has not been a new Gremlins theatrical movie since 1990, the franchise has remained active in other forms.
The animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premiered in 2023, exploring the earlier history of Gizmo and the Mogwai.
Its second season, Gremlins: The Wild Batch, continued the animated franchise in 2024 and 2025.
That means Gremlins 3 is not the franchise’s first new project in decades. Instead, the upcoming movie represents the long-awaited return of the property to the big screen.
The theatrical comeback is now simply arriving later than originally expected.
Gremlins 3 now faces a long wait until October 2028
With the latest schedule change, Gremlins 3 is set to reach theaters on October 6, 2028.
That will be nearly 44 years after the original Gremlins debuted in 1984 and almost 38 years after Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
The creative team is firmly established, with Chris Columbus confirmed as director and producer, Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer, and Hannah Marks writing the current screenplay. The production also includes a team spanning Amblin Entertainment and 26th Street Pictures.
Yet much of the actual movie remains a mystery.
Warner Bros. has not announced the official title, plot or cast, and it has not provided a reason for the nearly year-long release-date delay. Even the Mogwai shown in the latest teaser has not been publicly confirmed as Gizmo.
What the teaser does make clear is that the creatures at the heart of the franchise are heading back to theaters.
For fans who have been waiting since Gremlins 2, the wait just became longer — but the return is still on the calendar.
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Conclusion
Gremlins 3 is now scheduled for October 6, 2028, replacing its original November 19, 2027 release date. Warner Bros. has offered no public explanation for the change, but the studio has confirmed that the movie remains planned for theaters and has released a short teaser featuring a Mogwai.
Chris Columbus will direct and produce the new installment, Hannah Marks is writing the current screenplay, and Steven Spielberg is returning as an executive producer. The story, cast and final title remain undisclosed.
With the original creative lineage still closely connected to the project, the next chapter of the Gremlins franchise is taking shape — even though audiences will now have to wait until October 2028 to see what kind of chaos it brings back to the big screen.
Disclaimer: This article has been prepared based on thorough research of the sources provided in the verified material, including Variety, TheWrap, Deadline, SYFY, UPI Archives, and the official Warner Bros. website. It reflects information available as of September 24, 2026 and does not imply independent verification beyond what those provided sources support. Warner Bros. has not announced the reason for the release-date change, while plot and casting details remain undisclosed. The October 6, 2028 release date could also be subject to further changes before release.
Sources
- Variety — ‘Gremlins 3’ Delayed to 2028 by Warner Bros.
- TheWrap — ‘Gremlins 3’ Pushes Release Date to October 2028
- Deadline — Warner Bros. Fall 2028 Release-Date Changes
- Variety — ‘Gremlins 3’ Originally Set for November 2027
- SYFY — ‘Gremlins 3’ Confirmed With Chris Columbus and Steven Spielberg
- UPI Archives — 1984 Introduction of the PG-13 Rating
Featured Image Credit: Warner Bros.
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