Gremlins Animated Series

[Black Vulcan]

Years ago when I was a kid, I got a magazine from Pizza Hut that was highlighted cartoons at the time. It had an in-depth profile about a little upcoming series you may have heard of called "Tiny Toon..." something. Anywho, it had various animation news... "Beetlejuice" to air weekdays and what not... but one thing I remember distinctly was it mentioned an upcoming "Gremlins" cartoon series.

I recently did some searching on the Internet and heard that a pilot was made called "Gizmo and the Gremlins," but nothing more came of it. Does anyone else have any info about this never-made series? Was it action or comedy? What was the premise? Or will these be never-answered questions?

Thanks a lot, guys. Great site, Toon Zone!

Black Vulcan

[Natey]

i dont know........ if its real i hope its good

[Fone Bone]

I heard about this too. This was back in the day that Warner Bros. Animation was trying to turn all of their successful movies franchises into cartoon series. Some worked (Batman: The Animated Series) some didn't (Police Academy) and some fell somewhere in between (Beetlejuice). As I recall WB was also at one point interested in a National Lampoon's Vacation Griswald Family cartoon but that too never materialized.

I would have LOVED a Gremlins cartoon. I'm still waiting for Pheobe Cates to come out of retirement to do a sequel.

[Peter Paltridge]

Well shoot, I never knew they threw around the idea of one....I would have liked that. Dang.

Unless it turned out to revolve around "The Peltzer's kid." Don't forget that many of these movie-based shows were reworked, and not always made better.

[Spongebrain2.0]

I always wanted a Gremlins cartoon, I wonder why it never finalized:shrug:

[Michael24]

A GREMLINS cartoon would have been cool, but likely light and goofy like the second film, and not dark and entertaining like the first.

I saw somewhere not too long ago that a GREMLINS 3 script is still in early drafts, and apparently Joe Dante has said in interviews its still a possibility, but it's just a matter of time until things work out. I'd like to see it go back to being dark and creepy like the first movie.

[Spongebrain2.0]

I saw somewhere not too long ago that a GREMLINS 3 script is still in early drafts, and apparently Joe Dante has said in interviews its still a possibility, but it's just a matter of time until things work out. I'd like to see it go back to being dark and creepy like the first movie.
Face it, Gremlins 3 is basically in Development Hell and likely NEVER to come out of it. It has joined the ranks of Roger Rabbit 2, Ghostbusters 3, Rambo 4, Indiana Jones 4, etc. Gremlins 3 has been talked about since the second film was released(1990) so I doubt it will ever get anywhere:sad:

[John Pannozzi]

I first heard about this several years ago...I thought of making a thread about it here every now and then but Black Vulcan beat me to the punch.

Anyhoo, here's all the info I could find:

From http://freehost07.websamba.com/gizmo-gremlins/info/animated.htm

After the success of the first movie they planned an animated series based on the film. Sadly, only a pilot episode was produced and the project was canceled.

There was also an episode on the series Alvin and the Chipmunks go to the Movies called "Gremlionies" which was a parody of Gremlins.


P.S.: I heard on Toonarific.com (which is currently down), that the show would be about Gizmo fighting against Stripe and his gang of Gremlins.

[Fone Bone]

A GREMLINS cartoon would have been cool, but likely light and goofy like the second film, and not dark and entertaining like the first.

I saw somewhere not too long ago that a GREMLINS 3 script is still in early drafts, and apparently Joe Dante has said in interviews its still a possibility, but it's just a matter of time until things work out. I'd like to see it go back to being dark and creepy like the first movie.I loved the second movie WAAAAY more than the first as the first took itself way too seriously. Pheobe Cates having another tragic flashback like her father stuck in the chimney dressed as Santa from the first one was a joke so brutal it is hard to believe the same people worked on both movies.

[Michael24]

Really? I mean, I liked the second one and all, but I just thought the Gremlins themselves worked better in the setting of a dark movie like the first. It made them scary, like they should be, whereas in the second one they were basically just turned into a joke.

And I had no idea GREMLINS 3 had been in Development Hell for that long. I had never heard of a third film until not that long ago.

[Fone Bone]

Really? I mean, I liked the second one and all, but I just thought the Gremlins themselves worked better in the setting of a dark movie like the first. It made them scary, like they should be, whereas in the second one they were basically just turned into a joke.

Even though the first one was technically scarier I found the second one way more compelling in it's satire. It's actually one of my favorite movies of all time because a LOT of the shots it took were either so random or making fun of the first movie.

I never really found the first movie all that dark to be honest. Sure, it was scary but it still struck me as a good old fashioned kids movie while the second movie had a lot of stuff only grown-ups would get.

By the way, does anyone have either of the Gremlins movies on DVD? Do they have good tranfers and some special features or are they crappy? I want to know if I should wait for a special edition or not.

[Tobias]

I don't know about G1, but Gremlins 2 got a pretty great DVD. Good transfer & sound mix, deleted scenes (including an alternate Bugs and Daffy opening) commentary, trailers, the whole nine yards. The VHS version of the scene where the film reel breaks (where they show the Gremlins in t.v. clips as opposed to the Hulk Hogan bit) is even an easter egg.

[Michael24]

I know GREMLINS 1 on DVD has a commentary with (I think) Joe Dante, Zach Galligan, and Phoebe Cates. I still need to pick it up. But I think both movies are Special Editions, replacing the earlier bare-bones versions.

[Fone Bone]

Thanks, guys. Good to know.

[John Pannozzi]

I own both the Gremlins SE and Gremlins 2: The New Batch DVDs (both were put out in 2002), and they're both worth buying IMHO. But back on topic. Maybe we could ask Jerry Beck if he knows anything about this "Gizmo and the Gremlins" thing?

[Philo & Gunge]

I so wish WHV will do 2-disc editions of both movies and include this a bonus feature.

[Spongebrain2.0]

Maybe we could ask Jerry Beck if he knows anything about this "Gizmo and the Gremlins" thing?\

ASK HIM, I MUST KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS CARTOON!!!!:anime:

[Peter Paltridge]

I don't know about G1, but Gremlins 2 got a pretty great DVD. Good transfer & sound mix, deleted scenes (including an alternate Bugs and Daffy opening) commentary, trailers, the whole nine yards. The VHS version of the scene where the film reel breaks (where they show the Gremlins in t.v. clips as opposed to the Hulk Hogan bit) is even an easter egg.The DVD WAS good? Maybe I should look for it...but it's also rare; this is a job for Amazon.com.

"Gremlins? In HERE?" --Hogan. Good gravy, I'm sorry but 2 totally blows 1 away.

[John Pannozzi]

BUMP (sorry)

New light shed on the show by Eric Radomski (from http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=128186):

After the first season of Tiny Toons, Radomski explains, “The studio had specific properties they wanted to develop: Gremlins, The Griswolds [based on the National Lampoon’s Vacation characters], Tazmania and Batman. I did samples for each proposed idea, just to have some part to do with a new show. Jean MacCurdy really liked my version of Gotham City. And Bruce Timm basically did a one-sheet Batman design, just a whole body shot and a couple of poses and head shots, and that’s what we pitched.”

[Scythemantis]

I've always found the original gremlins rather forgettable, while Gremlins II is just one of the best movies ever made. The fact that it went from dark horror-comedy to over-the-top cartoony madness makes it all the better.

[Fone Bone]

I've always found the original gremlins rather forgettable, while Gremlins II is just one of the best movies ever made. The fact that it went from dark horror-comedy to over-the-top cartoony madness makes it all the better.Agreed. It IS one of the best movies ever made and woefully underrated. I have no clue why it hasn't become a cult classic but it is clearly one of the funniest films ever made.

And yes, the pilot collected on a Gremlins special edition would be awesome.

We STILL need Phoebe Cates to agree to do a sequel.:D