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‘Gremlins 3’ set to return after more than 35 years but fans still have a long wait ahead

The film was originally scheduled to premiere on November 19, 2027, but its release has now been delayed

Warner Bros. has dropped a sneak peek of ‘Gremlins 3,’ and it's set to hit theaters on October 6, 2028. The film was originally scheduled to premiere on November 19, 2027, but its release was pushed back by nearly a year. The news was announced on Wednesday, along with a teaser, and the caption read, "10.6.28. Only In Theaters." The 11-second clip featured a quick shot of a Mogwai and ended with the new release date being revealed.

Chris Columbus takes charge as the writer and director of the film, working alongside Hannah Marks, who writes the script from a draft by Columbus, Zach Lipovsky, and Adam Stein. Steven Spielberg returns as an executive producer, working with Eleanor Columbus from Maiden Voyage. Meanwhile, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario take on production duties for Amblin Entertainment, collaborating with Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe of 26th Street Pictures. Columbus, best known for directing ‘Home Alone’ and the first two ‘Harry Potter’ films, originally crafted the script for the 1984 film ‘Gremlins.’ The plot, official title, and cast details remain under wraps.

On another note, shifting the release date places ‘Gremlins 3’ in a time slot Warner Bros. has found success with before. The studio had major success with ‘Joker,’ which opened in early October and went on to earn $1.078 billion globally. Meanwhile, Paramount has no scheduling conflicts for either the original November 19, 2027, release date or the new October 6, 2028, slot. This delay comes amid Warner Bros. Discovery’s merger with Paramount. However, Collider notes that the merger did not influence the date changes for ‘Gremlins 3’ or DC’s puppet-animated film ‘Dynamic Duo.’ The latter will now hit theaters three months later than initially planned, moving from June 20 to September 22, 2028.

As for ‘Gremlins 3,’ it marks the franchise’s return to live-action since ‘Gremlins 2: The New Batch’ came out in 1990. Joe Dante was at the helm of both earlier films, but is not involved in the latest venture. More than 30 years have passed since the last movie hit theaters. Since then, the only new entry in the franchise has been the animated prequel ‘Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,’ which aired on HBO Max for two seasons from 2023 to 2025. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav first confirmed the upcoming film in 2025 during an investor call, as per Variety, and more details about the story and cast are expected to emerge as production progresses.