Original Gremlins screenwriter Chris Columbus has issued an update on a third instalment of the movie franchise.

The first Gremlins film was released in 1984, with Columbus writing its script. However its follow-up, 1990’s Gremlins 2: The New Batch, saw Columbus replaced by writer Charles S Haas.

Now, speaking in interview with Slashfilm, Columbus has revealed that he’s written a script for Gremlins 3 and that it’s now in development at Warner Brothers.


“I’m really proud of the script,” Columbus said. “It is as twisted and dark as anything, so we’ll see. It’s always a budgetary conversation when we’re going to shoot it. I wanted to go back to the really twisted sensibility of the first movie. I found that was a very easy place for me to fall back into and start writing again so hopefully we’ll see that movie soon.”

When asked whether Gizmo should be “eliminated” so no more gremlins are made, Columbus said: “Very good observation. That comes up in the movie, certainly… I think it probably is a good idea to be honest with you. Too many people are dying.”

Columbus also revealed that the new film would use “minimal CGI”, explaining: “CGI will enable us to remove wires and make the puppeteers lives a little easier. It was brutal. It was like a marathon every night for those guys. In the bar scene alone there were 18 [or] 20 people behind the bar. No one had any space to move. It was just hellish for those guys so CGI will simplify that a little bit but it’s all puppets.”

It was previously reported that screenwriter Carl Ellsworth (Red Eye, Disturbia) had also been hired to write the third Gremlins film.