Apparently, not everyone loves The Mandalorian, as Gremlins director Joe Dante thinks Lucasfilm stole the mogwai look from his classic film to make Baby Yoda. Speaking with Datebook, the filmmaker compared Grogu with the cutest critter of the Gremlins franchise, Gizmo, pointing out how both franchises are only successful due to the presence of their adorable creatures.
Introduced in 2019 during the first season of The Mandalorian, Baby Yoda quickly became a fan-favorite character and helped to turn the Star Wars series into an absolute success. In Season 2, Baby Yoda got a name, Grogu, as he kept exploring the cosmos by the side of Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), the titular Mandalorian. According to Dante, Baby Yoda had an effect similar to that of Gizmo, the fluffy mogwai who still helps Gremlins remain a relevant franchise. As Dante puts it:
“I think the longevity [of ‘Gremlins’] is really key to this one character (Gizmo), who is essentially like a baby. Which brings me, of course, to the subject of Baby Yoda, who is completely stolen and is just out-and-out copied. Shamelessly, I would think.”
Dante has a point. Both Gizmo and Baby Yoda are lovable animatronics that feel more real than any CGI creature. They are both small, have big pointy ears, and are at the center of the adventures lived by a group of humans. Finally, they are the one element no one can forget about their respective franchises. So, can we all agree that we need a crossover where Grogu teaches Gizmo to use the Force?
Besides showing up in both seasons of The Mandalorian, Baby Yoda was also an important part of the spinoff The Book of Boba Fett. In The Book of Boba Fett, Grogu abandoned his Jedi training to follow Din across the universe, reuniting with the Mandalorian for good. Now, Grogu is also set to return for Season 3 of The Mandalorian, expected to premiere around February 2023.
As for Gizmo, he’s set to appear in the prequel animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, scheduled to premiere on HBO Max this Fall. Dante works as a consultant on the series, ensuring the prequel respects his vision for the mogwai universe. The series will reveal how a 10-year-old Sam Wing (voiced by Izaac Wang) befriended Gizmo many decades before he became the old man who sold Gizmo to the Peltzer family during the events of the first film. HBO Max is confident in the series' success, having renewed Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai for a second season even before the series premiere.
There's still no trailer for Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, but the series pilot was recently exhibited at 2022's Annecy International Animation Film Festival. So, it shouldn't take long before we learn more details about Gizmo's return.