Joe Dante: “It was really hard to make a sequel after Gremlins 2”

The cult comedy from 1990 returns to TF1 Séries Films this Halloween evening.

A week later Gremlinswhich is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, its sequel will return to television this evening. Excellent programming for Halloween, as this horror comedy from Joe Dante pushes all sliders all the way.

Two years ago, when presenting the animated series Secrets of the Mogwai at the Annecy festival, its director talked about how difficult it was to find the right way to offer a new sequel to this saga. Here is an excerpt from this interview without tongue in cheek, Dante being particularly angry against the Hollywood system during this meeting.

Baby Yoda is pumped on Gizmo, annoys Joe Dante, the creator of the Gremlins

First: For my part, I recently rewatched Gremlins 2and I have to say I forgot how crazy this movie is.
Joe Dante: And that's why there was no Gremlins 3 ! The studio promised me that I could do whatever I wanted with this sequel if I agreed to shoot it. I didn't deprive myself! I decided to deconstruct Gremlins and I had free rein. Well, afterwards, the studio didn't really like the result and I think the screenwriter of the first film didn't really like it either.

Chris Columbus.
Yes, him (He thinks) In short, it was really hard to make a sequel afterwards Gremlins 2 : where are we going after this? They tried for years, they spent a lot of money and the project is still on the shelf. I read a few scripts. Chris says one of his versions is very dark, that he's going to kill Gizmo. In my opinion, it's not really a good idea… But hey, it's his frankness, after all.

It’s still very much yours too, isn’t it? You hacked it from the first part: basically, the scenario looked more like a real horror film than a horror comedy.
The film became what it became. But it is true that the second Gremlins was much more personal to me, whereas the first one was just a job, if you like.

We also find this very cartoonish humor that characterizes you. Even in your films that don't use animation at all, it shines through.
What do you want, it’s humor that I like! Indeed, there is always a Looney Tunes-era Frank Tashlin thing in what I do. That's kind of how I see life, I can't help it.

Gremlins: this is how Steven Spielberg fell in love with Gizmo

The complete interview with Joe Dante about the saga Gremlins can be read here. Here is the synopsis and trailer for #2:

How the gremlin Gizmo, Billy's childhood companion, is found in the suburbs of New York, clumsily wet, which causes the birth of a generation of horrible mischievous gremlins sowing panic in the city.

Joe Dante comments on his hidden treasures