Gremlins 3’s R-Rated, Gorier Sequel Just Became A Lot Less Likely

While Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is keeping the iconic ‘80s franchise alive, the series may have also inadvertently killed the best version of Gremlins 3. The Gremlins series has always existed in a strange no man’s land between adult horror and children’s entertainment. The original Gremlins was instrumental in the creation of the PG-13 rating (alongside Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) since censors were unsure whether it warranted a family-friendly PG rating or an adults-only R rating. Since then, it has never really been clear whether the Gremlins movies are for adults, children, or both, even though the original script answered this question.

Screenwriter Chris Columbus’s original script for Gremlins was a gorier, darker affair. This draft involved dead dogs, decapitations, and, in one infamous excised sequence, the titular monsters eating the patrons in a McDonald’s but leaving the food untouched. In contrast, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is for kids. This animated prequel stars Billy’s Mogwai Gizmo and explores the origin story of the cuddly hero of the series. Beginning in the idyllic Valley of Jade, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai soon reaches the human world when Gizmo is kidnapped by an eagle. Despite this peril, the series remained firmly family-friendly throughout.

Gremlins 3 Can’t Be Gorier & Darker After Secrets of the Mogwai

Gremlins 3 could have revisited the R-rated original script Chris Columbus wrote for the first movie. However, the belated sequel is less likely to do so now that Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai has doubled down on the franchise’s family-friendly elements. While the announcement of Beetlejuice 2 makes a sequel to the ‘80s horror comedy franchise more likely, the tone of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai makes an R-rated Gremlins 3 less likely than ever. The Gremlins franchise could still take the series in this direction, but this could prove counterproductive after Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai attracted a younger audience.

This is a shame since there is a lot of darker potential in the Gremlins movies. The anarchy that the eponymous monsters cause never gets particularly bloody in the original movie, but they are responsible for some memorably nasty kills. This was not true in 1990’s lighter sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch which took a sillier, more cartoony approach to the material. With the highly-hyped Five Nights At Freddy’s movie proving there is a market for nostalgic ‘80s horror-comedy, Gremlins 3 could have been the first movie in the series to revisit Columbus’s original, darker vision for the franchise.

Why A Family-Friendly Gremlins 3 Could Still Work

While Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai makes this less likely, this is not necessarily a death knell for the long-awaited sequel’s prospects. Gremlins 3 could instead use the approach taken by Joe Dante’s first sequel and lean into the goofier, more comedic side of the series. While less financially successful than the original, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is seen as a misunderstood masterpiece by many retrospective reviewers. Instead of leaning into the darker side of the Gremlins story, Gremlins 3 could capitalize on Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai’s success and make the franchise even more fun in its next outing.