Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai – Release date, trailer, cast, plot & more

Chris Tilly

A new animated spinoff from one of the most beloved horror movies of the 1980s is coming – this is everything we know about Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai, from release date and trailer, to cast, plot, and more.

Produced by Steven Spielberg, and directed by Joe Dante, Gremlins was one of the most popular horror movies of the 1980s. The tale of a cute creature that turns into an army of monsters if you don’t follow its very specific rules, the movie combined laughs and scares, and was a big enough hit to spawn a sequel.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch released in 1990, and dialled down the horror in favor of Looney Tunes-like comedy. Sadly, audiences didn’t know what to make of it. The film was a modest hit, but killed the franchise stone-dead.

Until now that is, as next month fans are getting an animated prequel subtitled Secrets of the Mogwai. Here’s everything we know about the show, from its release date and trailer to cast, plot, and more.

Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai release date – When’s it out?

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai will be released on May 23, 2023.

That’s nearly five years since showrunner Tze Chun pitched the show to Amblin and Warner Bros…

The show drops on HBO Max in the United States, which on that same day will be changing its name to Max. The series consists of 10 episodes – each roughly 22-minutes in length – though there’s no word yet if they’ll all drop at once.

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai trailer

The Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai trailer is out now, and can be viewed below…

The action-packed teaser features stunning animation, plus details of the incredible voice cast, details of whom can be found below.

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai cast – Who’s in it?

Zach Galligan – who played protagonist Billy Peltzer in both movies – appears in the voice cast, as do the following…

  • Ming-Na Wen
  • James Hong
  • BD Wong
  • Matthew Rhys
  • Izaac Wang
  • AJ LoCascio
  • Gabrielle Nevaeh Green
  • Sandra Oh
  • Randall Park
  • George Takei
  • Bowen Yang

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai plot – What’s it about?

Here’s the official synopsis for the animated prequel, as revealed in a press release, which counts Steven Spielberg as an executive producer and Joe Dante as a producer…

“Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai takes viewers back to 1920s Shanghai where the Wing family first meets the young Mogwai called Gizmo. Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 Gremlins film) accepts the dangerous task to take Gizmo home and embarks on a journey through the Chinese countryside. Sam and Gizmo are joined by a teenage street thief named Elle, and together, they encounter – and sometimes battle – colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese folklore. Along their quest, they are pursued by a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.”

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is out on May 23, 2023, while more HBO/Max previews can be found below…

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About The Author

Chris Tilly is the TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Newspaper Journalism, and over the last 20 years, he's worked for the likes of Time Out, IGN, and Fandom. Chris loves Star Wars, Marvel, DC, sci-fi, and especially horror, while he knows maybe too much about Alan Partridge. You can email him here: chris.tilly@dexerto.com.