One of today’s early panels at SDCC focused on the anticipated animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. The prequel series tells the origin story of the devilish creatures that first came to life in the 1984 horror/comedy film directed by Joe Dante. The story will center around the family of a young boy who discovers fan-favorite Mogwai Gizmo and decides to take on the task of protecting it from evil spirits and monsters.
The panel was helmed by executive producers Tze Chun and Brendan Hay, along with art director Tara Rueping. The trio revealed a number of details about the series, not least of which that original Gremlins star Zach Galligan will lend his voice to the series in a guest role. No details about his role were released at the panel, but fans can expect that he won't be playing Billy Peltzer, as the series serves as a prequel to the original films, set in China. He joins a guest voice cast that will also include Sandra Oh, Bowen Yang, George Takei, and Randall Park.
Chun writes and showruns the series, which is also produced by Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park). The show was already renewed for Season 2 way before it even debuted on streaming platforms and networks. Earlier this year, however, the first episode had a screening during Annecy International Film Festival, and it was met with enthusiasm by attendees.
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai features an amazing voice cast, which includes 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. Back in May, HBO Max released images of the characters alongside their voice actors.
HBO Max is yet to reveal a release date for Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai. You can check out the official synopsis of the series here, and a short video from Park down below:
Steeped in China’s rich culture and mythology, ‘Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai’ takes viewers back to 1920s Shanghai where the Wing family first discovers the mysterious creature. Sam Wing, the youngest in the family, accepts the dangerous task to take Gizmo home and embarks on a journey through the Chinese countryside. Sam and Gizmo are joined by a teenage street thief named Elle, and together, they encounter—and sometimes battle—colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. Along their quest, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.