Gremlins 3: Could a WWII Comic Book Be the Key to a Darker, Scarier Sequel?
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Warner Bros. is poised to unleash a new generation of mischievous mayhem with Gremlins 3, slated for theatrical release on November 19, 2027. With Chris Columbus, the writer of the 1984 original, returning to helm the project, anticipation is building – and some fans are hoping the creative team will draw inspiration from an unexpected source: a fan-made comic book.
Gremmen’s, a 2023 comic book published by What if? Stories, an self-reliant publisher specializing in fan fiction inspired by classic 80s and 70s films, reimagines the backstory of the Gremlins. The story centers around the late Dick Miller, recounting his wartime experiences with the creatures. Initially dismissed as a rambling tale, futterman’s story gains chilling resonance when the Gremlins later wreak havoc on his property. But what if Futterman wasn’t exaggerating? This question forms the core concept of Gremmen’s.
The comic reimagines a younger murray Futterman as a hero fighting alongside Allied forces against a uniquely terrifying enemy. Writer Matt Stapleton and artist Mark Hooley place the narrative squarely in the 1940s, depicting a battle against the Gremlins that continues, in a sense, with the 2025 release of Gremmen’s 2.
Upping the Ante on Horror
While the original Gremlins balanced creature-feature thrills with comedic elements, and Gremlins 2: The New Batch leaned heavily into absurdist humor, Gremmen’s takes a decidedly darker turn. According to reviews,Mark Hooley’s artwork doesn’t shy away from the gore,portraying the Gremlins as the genuinely bloodthirsty beasts some moviegoers may have envisioned in 1984.
“Gremmen’s is a genuine war tale to its vrey bones,” one analyst noted, “with the caveat that the German Army is not even the worst threat lurking about.” As audiences mature, a more visceral and frightening approach to Gremlins 3 could prove successful, and Gremmen’s offers a compelling blueprint.
Connecting to the Gremlins’ True Origins
Fans familiar with the Gremlins universe may know about Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, the animated prequel series on HBO Max that explores Gizmo’s backstory. However, Gremmen’s distinguishes itself by tapping into the real-world origins of the Gremlins legend.
The mischievous creatures weren’t entirely a product of cinematic imagination. During World War II,Royal Air Force mechanics jokingly blamed “gremlins” for unexplained malfunctions in their fighter planes,attributing damage to the tiny saboteurs infiltrating aircraft machinery. This myth was popularized by Roald dahl, a former RAF pilot, who penned an illustrated book about the creatures that Walt Disney nearly adapted into a film. The story even provided the Gremlins with a motive: revenge for the destruction of their forest home to make way for an airplane factory.
The only nod to this history within the Gremlins franchise has been murray Futterman’s aforementioned rant. This connection alone provides a strong argument for Warner Bros. to incorporate gremmen’s into the official canon, or even adapt the comic directly into Gremlins 3. While previous comic adaptations of gremlins exist – including a Marvel graphic novelization and a re-release of Dahl’s book by Dark horse comics – Gremmen’s is the first to fully explore the creatures’ terrifying potential. For that reason, it deserves wider recognition.
Ultimately, Gremmen’s offers a compelling vision for a Gremlins sequel that honors the franchise’s roots while delivering a genuinely frightening experience for a new generation of fans.
