Gremlins 3 Delayed to 2028: Can it Work Without Joe Dante?

Look, I want to be excited. I really, really do. As someone whose personality was largely shaped by watching Gremlins on loop and loving the absolute, unhinged perfection that is Gremlins 2: The New Batch, any news about a third movie should have me doing backflips. Instead, I’m holding my breath, and not in a good way. Warner Bros. just pushed the release date for the still untitled Gremlins 3 back by nearly 11 months. Originally slated for November 19, 2027, the Mogwai are now staying locked in their cage until October 6, 2028. On paper, a pre-Halloween slot makes total sense for a creature feature. But an 11-month delay this early in the game? That always makes my blogger-senses tingle. Now, let’s address the massive, slimy Brain Gremlin in the room: Where is Joe Dante? Sure, Chris Columbus is directing, which will satisfy some purists. He wrote the original 1984 classic, so he obviously gets the core DNA. Plus, he’s producing alongside Amblin stalwarts like Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Holly Bario, Michael Barnathan, Mark Radcliffe, and Eleanor Columbus. The script has gone through a few hands, with a fresh pass by Hannah Marks building on an earlier draft by Colu...