Gizmo from Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a cute lil’ guy. Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian is also a cute lil’ guy.
But Joe Dante, the director of Gremlins (a perfect movie) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (an even more perfect movie — I didn’t realize it was possible to be more than perfect until I saw Gremlins 2: The New Batch), thinks Baby Yoda looks too much like his cute lil’ guy.
In an interview with San Francisco Chronicle‘s Datebook, Dante said, “I think the longevity of [the Gremlins movie] is really key to this one character [Gizmo], who is essentially like a baby. Which brings me, of course, to the subject of Baby Yoda, who is completely stolen and is just out-and-out copied. Shamelessly, I would think.”
Dante might have been joking around, but it’s more fun to imagine that he’s plotting his revenge. If Gremlins 3 ever gets made and Gizmo eats a green lizard wrapped in a robe, you’ll know why. Until then, HBO Max is making a Gremlins animated series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, that “reveals the story of how 10-year-old Sam Wing (future shop owner Mr. Wing in the 1984 feature film) met the young Mogwai called Gizmo.” It hopefully premieres later this year, while The Mandalorian returns in 2023.
(Via Datebook)