10 Reasons Not to Miss Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai delivers Gizmo, of course, but there’s also a monster-of-the-week element for the show that introduces creatures from Chinese mythology that Sam must protect his new friend from (or the other way around). “Tze Chun, being the writer and director-producer, he was able to make sure that historically these characters and the mythology of all these monsters or or ghosts are authentic to what I grew up with,” explained Ming-Na Wen, who stars as Fong Wing, Sam’s mother.

Added BD Wong, who voices Sam’s dad Hon Wing, “I want to give Tze credit for all of that wonderful work that he did to make that show actually not arbitrary for these Chinese ghosts or mythological beings—that it comes from something, it’s researched in a way. And it’s not absolutely to the letter authentic, but it’s inspired by something that’s culturally true. That feels deeper to us than it would be if it was just kind of making up monsters and stuff like that.”

Fans have noticed that Gizmo almost certainly provided inspiration for The Mandalorian’s foundling Grogu, right down to the adorable baby noises—so io9 asked Zach Galligan what he thought about the similarities. “I was a little startled at first because I do think that there is a resemblance. I think there’s so many people that love these shows, and I don’t really think it’s an either/or situation. I think that you can love all types of characters!” he said. “My feeling is there’s more than enough room for Baby Yoda and for Gizmo. They play off against each other and in an odd way almost reinforce each other. Having Baby Yoda, as either a compatriot or a foil or a rival or whatever, really only helps the [Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai] series because it gets people talking about one versus the other: ‘Which one do you like more? Which one do you like less? Which one’s cuter?’ It just helps the project, as opposed to if there wasn’t a Baby Yoda.”

“Well, he knows the secret of the Mogwai, so, you know, you’ve got to figure him out,” veteran actor James Hong teased. He lends his voice to Sam’s grandfather, who nudges his grandchild toward a life of adventure. “I think that the audience, especially the children, will enjoy what is going on with Grandpa—why [he’s] spouting off a lot of things and nobody believes [him] anyway. Just like in life nobody believes me, I have to convince them somehow. But that’s the enjoyment of life, you just live and you talk. And if people want to listen, fine. If they don’t, let them be—but the consequences will be there if they don’t really listen. You know, the old Chinese custom is the grandfather knows everything because he’s traveled the whole realm of [life,] like me.”

Izaac Wang is too young to have experienced the Gremlins movies the first time around, but he didn’t have trouble understanding Sam Wing’s bond with his Mogwai buddy. “Gizmo obviously was pretty iconic. He’s pretty easy to recognize at first—especially when I saw him and how he was animated, I thought it was super cute because it’s this fluffy little thing,” he said. “My point of reference for Gizmo was either, like, one of my really close friends or one of my cats. There’s times Gizmo would probably act most like one of my cats, where they’d make not so smart of a move—or where [they] would make a really intelligent move that I wouldn’t expect.”

Galligan, who starred as Billy in the original Gremlins films, signed on to Secrets of the Mogwai as a new character—not least because he wanted to help introduce Gizmo to a new generation. He thinks Sam and Billy are kindred spirits. “They’re very similar in terms of the fact that they’re both sheltered. Billy is really more sheltered by the fact that he is from an incredibly small town of about 2,000 people and one traffic light,” he said. “Whereas Sam is more sheltered simply by having overprotective parents that don’t encourage him to have adventures, because his grandfather was such a rogue and apparently was irresponsible with his adventuring. So they want him not to, you know, go down the wayward path, so to speak. [Billy and Sam] are similar in that they get thrown into a huge adventure and they form a tight bond with Gizmo, and they have to use wits and courage that they didn’t know they had in order to overcome all sorts of obstacles.”

Like the films, the series hero is always safe with the power of the Mogwai. Galligan likens it to how he views the franchise—“I’m never going to argue against kids watching the movies. I think they hold up very well”—and compared them to the new show. “I think they sent me the first four or five complete scripts so I could look at a small supporting part, but also to get a feeling of the tone and what they were going for. You can do cartoons or animated series all sorts of different ways. You can do them either just for kids, or you can do them in a sophisticated way like Bugs Bunny cartoons, where they’re equally good for amusing adults. There are definitely some things that I think adults will enjoy that might go over the kids’ heads.”

Wang is now a teen, but he was actually a kid when he joined the Gremlins series. “At the time I was only 11 years old, and I wasn’t really educated on most of the old movies back then. I searched Gremlins and saw the massive fan base. So I was like, ‘Okay, well, I’m really going to try this one.’ When I did end up booking [the role of Sam], that was a pretty cool moment for me.” From the start, he was open to the mildly scary shenanigans. “Reading the script, I’m not going to lie—seeing that preproduction stuff, it wasn’t as scary. And then when I saw the actual scary stuff I was like, ‘Wow, that is not what I was expecting at all!’ It definitely spooked me a little bit. It’s funny to watch.”

If you’re worried that the darkly comedic energy from the films is gone, rest assured it’s not. Wen, who grew up on the Dante films, was especially excited about joining the show because it remained true to the tone of movies. “[The characters] have become so iconic and I think it’s because it it had that cuteness but then it also had the shock value. I think that’s something Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg want to maintain. We’re so happy to able to keep that energy of being adorable and yet shocking. I can’t wait, it’s just such a fun roller coaster ride.”

Galligan, who suffered the wrath of the Gremlins in live-action form, appreciates that the show maintains the franchise’s signature blend of tones. “The series definitely gets a little little spooky, a little intense in places. The franchise is not E.T. The franchise is dark side of E.T,” he said. “It does have a darker tone and a slightly more mischievous, leaning towards vicious, streak through it. Gremlins has always had a mean streak in it. If you look at the first Gremlins and Gremlins 2, the Gremlins are tormenting Gizmo like two or three times per movie. Tying him up on the dartboard, throwing darts at him! I mean, it’s very silly but it’s also what [makes] it Gremlins. It is what it is,” he laughed.

Another important element of Gremlins comes from the family bonds shared by the characters—and how their love for one another extends onto Gizmo. “What’s really important in the stories is the family, the dynamic, the love and the connection,” Wen said.

Wong agreed, “It’s an added bonus to something that’s delightful and entertaining and intergenerational and culturally resonant and has representation that is positive,” he explained. “Aside from that, this sense of family, the relationships as a family, are very sweet and very warm and positive examples for families everywhere, of all colors and all the different nationalities and backgrounds.”

Throughout the dangerous escapades in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, the theme remains doing anything for those you love. “We’re both parents and we know we never want to see our kids hurt emotionally or physically,” Wen said of the context she and Wong brought to their roles. “And dammit, if that happens, my protective instinct [kicks in]. I will fight, protect, and just do everything I can. And I think we just innately have that in us from our own personal experience to offer the characters and give them that without even trying.”

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is now streaming now on Max.

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