The first live-action Gremlins movie in nearly three decades will be released by Warner Bros. on November 19, 2027.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the project during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Original screenwriter Chris Columbus is attached to direct Gremlins 3 as well as producing. Steven Spielberg will return as executive producer.
Columbus, Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein wrote the script for the new installment. Toby Halbrooks and Carl Ellsworth wrote a prior draft, and the writing credits are not yet final.
Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario are producing for Amblin Entertainment alongside 26th Street Pictures’ Columbus, Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe.
The original Gremlins, directed by Joe Dante, became a pop-culture phenomenon in 1984, grossing $165 million worldwide. The sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, was far less successful in 1990, taking in $41 million, though it has gone on to become a cult favorite. The staying power of Gremlins, via merchandise and comic-book extensions stemming from the two initial movies, played into WarnerMedia’s decision to green-light an animated prequel series for HBO Max. Its second season wrapped up earlier this year.
“Few titles are as beloved and iconic as Gremlins, and we’re beyond excited to bring it back for both lifelong fans and a whole new generation,” said Jesse Ehrman, President of Development and Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, in a statement. “It’s a privilege to be working alongside Steven, Chris, and the entire creative team, and we look forward to audiences experiencing the next installment of the magic, mayhem, and heart of Gremlins on the big screen in 2027.”
Zaslav announced the franchise installment as a way of punctuating the revival of Warner Bros. as a theatrical movie powerhouse in the earnings call with Wall Street analysts. The studio is “now where creatives want to be,” he said. “It has taken time and investment, and the process has not been without setbacks. … but Warner Bros. Discovery is back and stronger than ever.”
With less than two months left in 2025, Warners is No. 1 at both the domestic and global box office but the studio has no more releases planned this year. While Disney will bring out the heavy artillery in December with Avatar: Fire and Ash, it is unclear if it will be enough to change the market-share standings.
The earnings call also included some discussion of the looming changes at WBD, which has fielded acquisition interest from multiple suitors and also three firm buyout offers from Paramount Skydance. Whether the company is sold in its entirety or proceeds with a plan to split in two, the century-old Warner Bros. movie operation will soon have a new corporate ownership structure, its fourth in the past decade.