Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai
2023 animated comedy fantasy television series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is an American animated fantasy adventure horror comedy television series.[2] It is a prequel to the 1984 film of the same name and its 1990 first sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch and 2027 second sequel Gremlins 3,[3] the series is set in 1920s Shanghai, East China, and tells the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing met Gizmo, a young Mogwai.[4] It was written and executive produced by Tze Chun. Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sam Register, and Brendan Hay also serve as executive producers,[5] with Joe Dante (the director of the Gremlins films) as consulting producer. In February 2021, ahead of the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season.[6][7]
| Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai | |
|---|---|
| |
| Based on | |
| Developed by | Tze Chun |
| Voices of | |
| Music by | Sherri Chung |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Danielle Witz |
| Running time | 22 minutes[1] |
| Production companies | |
| Original release | |
| Network | Max |
| Release | May 23, 2023 – April 10, 2025 |
| Related | |
The first episode had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[8][1] before the series debuted with the launch of Max on May 23, 2023, consisting of 10 episodes. The series was also set to air on Cartoon Network as part of their ACME Night block.[9][10][11] However, the block moved to Adult Swim in September 2023 before that could happen.[12]
The first half of the second season, which is subtitled "The Wild Batch", was released on October 3, 2024. It shows how Sam and Gizmo move from Shanghai to America before Randall Peltzer discovers Gizmo.[13][14] The second half of season two was released on April 10, 2025.[15]
Premise
The series focuses on how 10-year-old Sam Wing met the young Mogwai called Gizmo. Along with a teenage street thief named Elle, Sam and Gizmo take a perilous journey through the Chinese countryside, encountering, and sometimes battling, colorful monsters and spirits from Chinese mythology and Chinese folklore. On their quest to return Gizmo to his family and uncover a legendary treasure, they are pursued by Riley Greene, a power-hungry industrialist and his growing army of evil Gremlins.[16] The series also delves into the creation of the Mogwai by the goddess Nuwa and her brother, Fuxi. The second season takes place one year after the first season.
Voice cast
Main cast
- Izaac Wang as Sam Wing
- Ming-Na Wen as Fong Wing, Yin
- B. D. Wong as Hon Wing
- James Hong as Grandpa Wing
- Matthew Rhys as Riley Greene
- A.J. LoCascio as Gizmo, Bucky, Clam, Snout Jr., Evil Mogwai
- Gabrielle Nevaeh Green as Elle-Marie
- George Takei as Noggin[17]
- Simu Liu as Chang
- Yael Grobglas as Margot
Recurring cast
- Eric Bauza as Sebastian, Snout
- Dee Bradley Baker as Evil Mogwai, Lion
- Yvette Nicole Brown as Mayor Hansen
- Michael Paul Chan as The Lion
- Ronny Chieng as Big Big
- Sungwon Cho as the Circusmaster, Kung Kung
- Peyton Crim as Jackalope
- Keith David as Bass Reeves
- Grey DeLisle as Claw, Duckface, Evil Mogwai
- Will Forte as the Warden of Alcatraz
- Zach Galligan as Henchman #2
- John Glover as Rodney
- Michael Greyeyes as Geronimo
- Alex Hernandez as Chupacabra
- Keisuke Hoashi as Wei
- Kelly Hu as The Lioness
- Haviland Morris as Theodora
- Laraine Newman as Lady Clamp
- Sandra Oh as Nüwa
- Timothy Olyphant as Johnny Appleseed
- Randall Park as Yao / Odd-Odd
- Bowen Yang as Celestial Administrator
- Julie Nathanson as Warbler
- Calvin Shen as Radish
- Robin Weigert as Calamity Jane
- Gary Anthony Williams as John Henry
- Jenn Wong as Jingwei
- Jimmy O. Yang as Little Big
- Keone Young as Fortune Telling Pigeon, Boss Chang
- Ramona Young as Fox Spirit
- Moujan Zolfahari as Lucky
Series overview
Episodes
Season 1 (2023)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [18] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Never Get Them Wet" | Michael Chang & Stephanie Gonzaga | Tze Chun | May 23, 2023 |
| 2 | 2 | "Never Feed Them After Midnight" | Vaughn Ross | Brendan Hay | May 23, 2023 |
| 3 | 3 | "Always Buy a Ticket" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Anna Christopher | June 1, 2023 |
| 4 | 4 | "Don't Drink the Tea" | Alexandra Chiu | Sarah Nerboso | June 1, 2023 |
| 5 | 5 | "Always Stab or Run" | Vaughn Ross | Peter Chen | June 8, 2023 |
| 6 | 6 | "Always Buy a God a Drink First" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Brendan Hay | June 8, 2023 |
| 7 | 7 | "Never Squeeze a Fox" | Alex Chiu | Anna Christopher | June 15, 2023 |
| 8 | 8 | "Never Hug a Mogwai" | Vaughn Ross | Sarah Nerboso | June 15, 2023 |
| 9 | 9 | "Never Give Up" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Brendan Hay | June 22, 2023 |
| 10 | 10 | "Never Ever Expose Them to Bright Light" | Alex Chu | Tze Chun | June 22, 2023 |
Season 2: The Wild Batch (2024–25)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [19] | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [18] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Always Be Ready for Adventure" | Jasmine Goggins & Vaughn Ross | Tze Chun | October 3, 2024 |
| 12 | 2 | "Never Take the Tour" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Anna Christopher | October 3, 2024 |
| 13 | 3 | "Never Use Double Negatives" | Alex Chiu | Brendan Hay | October 3, 2024 |
| 14 | 4 | "Always Bring a Toothpick" | Jasmine Goggins | Sarah Nerboso | October 3, 2024 |
| 15 | 5 | "There's Always a Fortune in the Cookie Factory" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Felicia Ho | October 3, 2024 |
| 16 | 6 | "Never Get Out of the Truck" | Alex Chiu | Anna Christopher | April 10, 2025 |
| 17 | 7 | "Always Ask for Backstory" | Jasmine Goggins | Sarah Nerboso | April 10, 2025 |
| 18 | 8 | "Never Try the Cider" | Stephanie Gonzaga | Jo Claes & Felicia Ho | April 10, 2025 |
| 19 | 9 | "Always or Never Make Wishes" | Alex Chiu | Brendan Hay | April 10, 2025 |
| 20 | 10 | "Always Make the Hard Choice" | Jasmine Goggins | Tze Chun | April 10, 2025 |
Development
On February 25, 2019, WarnerMedia greenlit an animated series based on Gremlins,[20][21] for its streaming service HBO Max.[22] Tze Chun was confirmed to write the series and serve as an executive producer with Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, Sam Register, and Brendan Hay.[23] On July 1, 2019, the series, now titled Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, was given a series order of 10 episodes.[24][25]
In February 2020, Joe Dante, director of the original two films, revealed that he acted as a consultant for the series.[26] In July of that same year, it was revealed that Howie Mandel would not reprise his role as Gizmo for the series.[27] On February 17, 2021, ahead of the series premiere, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season at the TCA virtual Press Tour.[6]
In February 2021, the voice cast of Izaac Wang, Ming-Na Wen, B. D. Wong, James Hong, Matthew Rhys, and Gabrielle Green was announced, with A.J. LoCascio voicing Gizmo.[28] In December 2021, the first clip was shown in an HBO Max trailer for 2022 releases.[29] In July 2022, Zach Galligan, Sandra Oh, Randall Park, George Takei, and Bowen Yang were revealed to have roles in the series. Galligan previously portrayed Gizmo's modern-day owner Billy Peltzer in both Gremlins films.[10] Animation for the series was provided by Blue Spirit Productions and 88 Pictures.
In July 2024, it was announced that John Glover, Michael Paul Chan, Ronny Chieng, Keith David, Will Forte, Kelly Hu, Simu Liu, and Jimmy O. Yang had joined the cast of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai - Season 2: The Wild Batch.[30] Glover previously portrayed Daniel Clamp in Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Release
The first episode of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai had its world premiere at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 13, 2022,[8][1] before the 10-episode series debuted with the launch of Max on May 23, 2023.[31][32] The series would have aired on Cartoon Network as part of their ACME Night block.[9] However, the block moved to Adult Swim in September 2023 before that could happen.[12] The series aired in the United Kingdom on CBBC, BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on October 30, 2023.[33] The series also aired in Japan on Cartoon Network Japan on November 8, 2025 (which was along with "The Deal" (from the episode of The Amazing World of Gumball) and "Pet Feud" (from the episode of The Powerpuff Girls (1998)).
The first half of the second season, which is subtitled "The Wild Batch", debuted on October 3, 2024.[13][14] The second half of the second season was released on April 10, 2025.[34]
Reception
Critical reception
For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 8.4/10 based on 21 critics. The website's consensus reads: "Recapturing the original movies' blend of cuteness and mayhem, Secrets of the Mogwai is delightful family entertainment -- just don't feed it after midnight."[35] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100 based on reviews from nine critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[36]
For the second season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating with an average rating of 7.6/10 based on 7 critics.[37]
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Saturn Awards | Best Animated Television Series or Special | Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai | Nominated | [38] |
| Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production | Leah Artwick (for "Never Give Up") | Nominated | [39] | |
| Producers Guild Awards | Outstanding Children's Program | Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai | Nominated | [40] | |
| 2025 | Saturn Awards | Best Animated Television Series or Special | Gremlins: The Wild Batch | Nominated | [41] |
| Annie Awards | Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children | Gremlins: The Wild Batch (for "Never Use Double Negatives") | Nominated | [42] | |
| Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program | Agnes Kim and Sarah Noonan | Won | [43][44] | |
| Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program | Sherri Chung | Nominated |
