Gremlins is one of the most iconic films of all time. The ghoulish Christmas comedy classic was an unprecedented hit for Warner Bros. in 1984, grossing $212.9 million against its $11 million budget. While Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) didn’t hatch quite the same box office success as its predecessor, it still amassed a huge cult following over the decades.So much so that fans have been starving for a third film ever since. For a long time, we had nothing but speculation to satiate our appetite. And while the unexpected HBO Max series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai has kept the franchise ticking along in animated form, the hunger for a live-action sequel has only continued to grow.Finally, earlier this year, it was announced that a third film was underway at Warner Bros.Credit: Warner Bros.Gremlins 3 Is Finally Happening“We’re super excited about Amblin developing with Chris Columbus new entries in the Gremlins and Goonies franchises,” Warner Bros.’ co-chairman/CEOs Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy told Deadline earlier this year while discussing the studio’s upcoming IP revivals.Since then, things had gone quiet again on the Gremlins front. But during the Manchester Comic-Con, which took place at the Bowlers Exhibition Center over the weekend (July 26-27), Gremlins star Zach Galligan, who was in attendance, signing autographs and posing for selfies and photographs with fans, took to the stage for a Q&A during which he was unsurprisingly asked about the long-awaited and highly anticipated threequel, Gremlins 3.“I am happy to report that, after 35 years, they have come up with a script,” he announced. “Warner Bros. is incredibly interested in doing it. Apparently, it’s waiting upon Mr. [Steven] Spielberg to read it and approve it. But you can thank the success of Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.”Credit: Warner Bros.Warner Bros. Can’t Ignore the Success of Beetlejuice, BeetlejuiceGalligan went on to explain how Warner Bros. now realizes that, in the same way Sony Pictures found new success in recent years with the Ghostbusters sequels Afterlife and Frozen Empire, it can resurrect old franchises for a new generation and longtime fans — even IPs that have been left dormant for decades, with last year’s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice serving as a prime example, having grossed $452 million worldwide.“Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice is a very interesting test case if you’re a studio executive at Warner Bros.,” Galligan said. “Here’s an intellectual property, it’s been around for 34 years, 1988 to 2024. Absolutely nothing to promote it. No Beetlejuice 2 before. Just a movie that was a moderate hit at the time. And the property sat on the shelf for three-and-a-half decades. They bring back Tim Burton, they bring back three key actors — Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, they throw in Jenna Ortega, who’s terrific — and boom.”He added, “And so that’s why you have now Chris Columbus working on Goonies 2. And now you have Gremlins 3 on the cusp, just a whisker away from being green-lit.”Credit: Warner Bros.Related: ‘Gremlins’ Director Calls Out Disney In Recent CommentsWhat Will Gremlins 3 Be About?When asked if he’s reprising his role as Billy Peltzer in the upcoming film, Galligan said, “I can’t really think of a way they can’t use me. I think they kind of have to use me.”He added, “I’d love to do it. I know that my bank account would love to do it. I know that my creative-self would love to do it. I think it would be a lot of fun.”The actor was also asked about the direction Gremlins 3 is likely to take. While his response was partly in jest, a lot of what he said makes sense, especially when you consider the route other legacy sequels have taken over the years, from Ghostbusters to Star Wars.Credit: Warner Bros.“So, my guess is, Gizmo and I get separated, people break the rules, chaos erupts. Who ya gonna call? Gremlin Busters. No, you’re gonna call? Billy Peltzer and his wife, or whoever.”“My character probably comes in to help solve it, kinda like what they did with Harrison Ford in Force Awakens, right? Where he shows up two thirds of the way [through] the film and forms a pivotal part. So that’s my guess, probably. It’s almost what they have to do.”Jenna Ortega May Appear in the New FilmCredit: NetflixGalligan also responded to a question about Jenna Ortega potentially appearing in the new film. Ortega publicly threw her hat in the ring to star in Gremlins 3 after her appearance in last year’s Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, which was a huge financial success for Warner Bros.Away from the big screen, Ortega has also enjoyed success in the Netflix TV series Wednesday. But could she be set to appear in yet another long-awaited sequel from Warner Bros.? She could slip into the role of the daughter of Billy Peltzer and Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates). Casting a powerhouse star like Ortega, who has an enormous fanbase, in yet another sequel that’s entrenched in nostalgia, would be another smart move on Warner Bros.’ part.So far, neither the synopsis nor the cast for Gremlins 3 has officially been revealed by Warner Bros. And whether or not the new film will revisit the horror tone of the 1984 original or continue with the more spoofy and comedic themes of the 1990 sequel also remains to be seen. Chris Columbus is penning the script, but we also don’t know if director Joe Dante, who helmed the first two films, will return.There’s no release date for Gremlins 3.Are you excited about Gremlins 3? Let us know in the comments down below!The post ‘Gremlins 3’ Exclusive: OG Star Shares Huge Update for New Film, Hints at Jenna Ortega’s Involvement appeared first on Inside the Magic.