Hollywood is pretty obsessed with sequels these days. You know the drill: take the first movie, make it slightly bigger, and keep the tone exactly the same so nobody gets scared off. But back in 1990, Joe Dante decided to do something completely insane with Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Instead of a scary monster movie, he made a live-action Looney Tunes cartoon that actively made fun of the fact that it even existed. Honestly, it’s a miracle it ever got made.
The Sequel That Almost Didn't Happen
Warner Bros. was desperate. The first Gremlins had been a monster hit in 1984, but Joe Dante didn't actually want to make another one. He thought the story was finished. For years, the studio tried to develop scripts without him. They even considered sending the creatures to Las Vegas or—I’m not making this up—Mars.
When those ideas flopped, they came crawling back to Dante with an offer he couldn't refuse: total creative control and three times the original budget.
Basically, he told them he'd do it only if he could do whatever he wanted. The studio said yes, probably because they just wanted a product to sell. What they got was a $50 million satire that dismantled the entire concept of a franchise. Dante and screenwriter Charles S. Haas decided to move the action from the cozy town of Kingston Falls to a hyper-tech skyscraper in New York City owned by Daniel Clamp.
If Daniel Clamp looks familiar, that’s because he’s a weird, bubbly hybrid of Donald Trump and Ted Turner. Interestingly, the character isn't even a villain; he's just a hopelessly optimistic guy who loves his own face.
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Breaking the Fourth Wall (Literally)
One of the wildest things about Gremlins 2: The New Batch is how it treats the audience. There is a famous scene where the film actually "breaks." The screen goes white, gremlins appear in the projection booth, and they start playing a black-and-white movie instead.
In the theatrical version, Hulk Hogan—who just happened to be in the audience—stands up and threatens the gremlins until they put the movie back on.
Imagine being a kid in 1990 and thinking the cinema was actually broken. That’s bold. When the movie hit VHS later, they changed the scene so the gremlins "invaded" your VCR instead, featuring John Wayne in a cameo. This kind of meta-humor was lightyears ahead of its time. It’s the kind of stuff Deadpool gets praised for now, but Dante was doing it with puppets and practical effects thirty-five years ago.
The Genius of Rick Baker
Since they had so much money to play with, the creature designs went off the rails. Rick Baker, the legendary effects artist behind An American Werewolf in London, took over for Chris Walas. Baker was bored of just making the same green monsters, so he pushed for the "New Batch" to be genetically mutated.
This gave us:
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- The Brain Gremlin (voiced by the suave Tony Randall)
- The Spider Gremlin (which is legitimately terrifying)
- The Bat Gremlin (it flies into a wall and leaves a perfect Batman logo)
- Greta, the first female gremlin, who wears a green wig and hunt-down Robert Picardo
The level of detail is staggering. Each puppet was a mechanical marvel. In one scene, the "Electric Gremlin" is trapped in a phone system—a gag that feels weirdly prophetic in our digital age.
Why It "Failed" at the Box Office
When people talk about the movie today, they call it a masterpiece of satire. But in 1990? It was kind of a flop. It only made about $41 million against a budget that was likely close to $50 million.
Why? Timing.
Warner Bros. scheduled it against Dick Tracy, which had a massive marketing machine behind it. Also, the tone was a massive curveball. People expected the dark, slightly mean-spirited horror of the first film. Instead, they got a movie where a gremlin dresses up like Rambo and Leonard Maltin (a real-life critic who hated the first movie) gets murdered on screen by the creatures while reviewing the first film.
It was too smart for its own good. It mocked consumerism, cable news, and even the "rules" of the mogwai. There’s a hilarious scene where the characters try to figure out what happens if a gremlin eats a snack at 11:59 PM but gets a piece stuck in its teeth until after midnight. Does that count? The movie knows the rules are nonsense, and it invites you to laugh at them.
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The Legacy of the New Batch
Fast forward to 2026, and we are finally seeing a resurgence of interest in this world. With the animated series Secrets of the Mogwai and constant rumors of a third live-action film, people are realizing that Joe Dante's weird sequel was the high-water mark for the series.
It proved that you can make a big-budget sequel that isn't just a soulless cash grab. It can be a critique of the very industry that paid for it.
What to Look for on Your Next Rewatch
If you haven't seen it in a while, keep an eye out for the cameos. You'll spot Christopher Lee as Dr. Catheter, the scientist who seems way too comfortable with genetic experimentation. Also, look for the composer Jerry Goldsmith buying frozen yogurt in the lobby.
The movie is packed with these tiny details. It’s a "maximalist" film in every sense. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s completely unhinged.
Take Action: How to Experience the New Batch Today
If you're planning a rewatch, don't just stream it on a phone. This movie was built for the biggest screen possible to appreciate the sheer puppetry on display.
- Watch the "Home Video" Cut: If you can find the older VHS or DVD versions, compare the "broken film" scene with the theatrical cut. It’s a masterclass in adapting a joke for a different medium.
- Check out the Tie-ins: The NES game based on the movie is actually surprisingly good (and hard). It captures the chaotic vibe of the tower perfectly.
- Read the Novelization: George Gipe’s book for the first movie was weirdly dark, but the sequel’s novelization by David Bischoff leans even harder into the satire.
The beauty of Gremlins 2: The New Batch is that it doesn't care if you like it. It’s a movie that is having a party, and you’re just invited to watch. It reminds us that cinema is allowed to be dangerous, silly, and self-destructive all at once.