That’s how they get you, right? By being too cute—and then turning into monsters. It’s 1984 all over again with the new series Gremlins: Secret of the Mogwai, except that it’s actually 1920s Shanghai, where Gizmo’s story begins!
As always, a new generation must be indoctrinated into the ways of 1980s pop culture trends, so why not gremlins? Even I—a certified horror baby who was always afraid to watch Gremlins—know the rules: Don’t get these little suckers wet! And don’t feed them after midnight!
Guess what happens in the trailer. No, guess, I’ll wait.
Anyway, here’s the summary:
Gremlins: Secret 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.
The outstanding voice cast includes Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, BD Wong, Matthew Rhys, Izaac Wang, Gabrielle Neveah Green, Sandra Oh, Randall Park, George Takei, Bowen Yang—and Billy Peltzer himself, Zach Galligan.
Steven Spielberg is an executive producer on the show, which has Tze Chun (a writer on Gotham) as showrunner. Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premieres May 23rd on the newly renamed Max.