It was announced that HBO Max would release an animated TV series prequel to the beloved Gremlins film franchise, entitled Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. Now, showrunner Tze Chun has given the inside scoop on pitching the upcoming animated series and its importance to the American Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.
Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai tells the story of everyone's favorite Mogwai, Gizmo, as he's transported from his home in the Himalayan Mountains to 1920s Shanghai. Along the way, he befriends a young boy named Sam Wing (Izaac Wang), who decides to help Gizmo return home. Together, they come face-to-face with creatures from Chinese folklore as well as an industrialist who's building an army of dangerous Gremlins.
One of the significant steps in bringing Gremlins: Spirit of the Mogwai to life was pitching the idea to Gremlins executive producer, Steven Spielberg. “I was incredibly nervous. I knew that I was nervous when I was stressing out in the parking lot,” Chun recalled. “We pitched and it went well. And Steven Spielberg’s first question was: "Is Joe happy?," referring to Gremlins director Joe Dante.
Chun also discussed the importance of having Asian representation in all aspects of the series. “I remember on day one when I was writing the pilot, and I got to write as the first line: ‘Note to the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all characters are Chinese,’” Chun stated. “I honestly never thought that I would live long enough for that to be the case, that I could write that into a screenplay of a show for a studio that was going to be distributed on a major network."
Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai features an amazing cast, including Ming-Na Wen as Fong Wing, James Hong as Grandpa, BD Wong as Hon Wing, Izaac Wang as Sam Wing, Gabrielle Green as Elle, Matthew Rhys as Riley Greene, and A. J. Locascio as Gizmo. HBO Max recently released images of the characters portrayed by Wing, Wen, Wong and Hong. Earlier this year, fans also got their first look at the series' version of Gizmo.
The show's pilot originally premiered on June 13, 2022, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which is held in Annecy, France. The series is set to premiere as part of Cartoon Network's ACME Night block. Chun, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sam Register, and Brendan Hay will all serve as executive producers on the series. Gremlins: Spirit of the Mogwai was also renewed for a second season in February 2021, before the series premiere.