Official: Warner Bros. Disappoints Fans by Delaying ‘Gremlins 3’ to Late 2028

Anyone who thought the long wait for another Gremlins movie was finally nearing its end will need a little more patience.

Warner Bros. has given fans their first brief look at the long-awaited Gremlins 3 (2028), and Gizmo is front and center. While seeing the beloved Mogwai again should bring plenty of nostalgia, the teaser also delivers disappointing news.

The sequel won’t arrive in 2027 as originally announced. Warner Bros. has moved Gizmo’s return into 2028, adding almost another full year to a theatrical absence that already stretches back decades.

Gizmo Pops Up in the First Teaser

Warner Bros. didn’t reveal much in its first teaser for Gremlins 3 (2028), but the studio included one familiar face.

Gizmo can be seen peeking out of a backpack, immediately reconnecting the new movie to the character at the heart of the original franchise. There aren’t any major story details or big plot reveals in the footage.

Instead, Warner Bros. saves the biggest announcement for the end.

The studio confirms an October 6, 2028, theatrical release date. Warner Bros. also accompanied the teaser with the caption, “10.6.28. Only In Theaters.”

That means fans finally have a concrete date for Gizmo’s comeback. Unfortunately, it isn’t the date they previously expected.

10.6.28. Only In Theaters. pic.twitter.com/kZVLPrNd12

— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) September 23, 2026

Warner Bros. Scraps the Previous 2027 Plan

Warner Bros. Discovery originally announced the new movie in November 2025 and scheduled it for November 19, 2027.

That release would have put Gremlins 3 (2028) in theaters shortly before Thanksgiving and the holiday season. The October 6, 2028, date changes those plans considerably.

The delay amounts to almost 11 months.

Warner Bros. hasn’t publicly provided a specific reason for pushing the sequel deeper into 2028. Fans are therefore left with a longer wait, just as the studio has finally started showing them what the movie will offer.

That wait becomes even more noticeable when considering how long the franchise has already been away from theaters. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) will be 38 years old by the time the next movie arrives.

Chris Columbus Takes Control of the Franchise

Although audiences still know very little about the story, Warner Bros. has assembled a creative team with strong ties to the franchise.

Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay for Gremlins (1984), which Joe Dante directed. For Gremlins 3 (2028), Columbus is stepping into an even larger position as both director and producer.

Steven Spielberg will also return as an executive producer, having held that role on the earlier movies.

Work on the screenplay has evolved as well. Hannah Marks is writing the current draft based on an earlier screenplay from Columbus, Zach Lipovsky, and Adam B. Stein.

The human cast remains much more mysterious.

Warner Bros. hasn’t announced which, if any, actors from the previous movies will return. However, Zach Galligan has already given fans something to talk about.

Galligan played Billy Peltzer in Gremlins (1984) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). Following the new teaser, he reacted on social media with a looking-eyes emoji.

That’s not confirmation of Galligan’s involvement, but his reaction quickly fueled more discussion about whether Billy could return.

The Original Gremlins Formula Still Stands Out

Gizmo’s appearance carries plenty of nostalgic weight because Gremlins (1984) created such an unusual world.

The movie follows Billy after his father gives him Gizmo, a mysterious Mogwai, for Christmas. Gizmo comes with three crucial rules: keep him away from bright light, don’t get him wet, and never feed him after midnight.

Things don’t go according to plan.

Gizmo gets wet and produces additional Mogwai. Those creatures eventually become destructive Gremlins, sending Kingston Falls into chaos.

The movie blended horror, comedy, Christmas imagery, creature effects, and darker moments. Gizmo became the lovable heart of the story, while the Gremlins supplied much of its unpredictable mayhem.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) went even further with the concept, placing greater emphasis on comedy and introducing audiences to an even stranger assortment of creatures.

Fans Now Have a Longer Countdown

After decades without another theatrical installment, Warner Bros. is finally moving the franchise forward again.

Gizmo has appeared in the first teaser; Columbus is directing and producing; Spielberg is returning as an executive producer; and October 6, 2028, is now the date on the calendar.

It’s just considerably later than fans originally expected.

Instead of waiting until November 2027, audiences will have to wait almost 11 additional months before Gizmo returns to theaters. Nearly four decades after Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), the franchise’s comeback is getting closer — just not quite as quickly as fans hoped.