Gremlins alum Zach Galligan calls new voice of Gizmo 'indistinguishable' from the original
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Gremlins are back!
With the upcoming animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, HBO Max is returning to the world of the beloved creatures introduced on the big screen nearly 30 years ago. The new show, set in 1920s China, tells the story of how a young Sam Wing first met Gizmo.
While the team surprised Comic-Con attendees Friday with the news that Zach Galligan, the original Billy, is returning for Secrets of the Mogwai as a character yet to be revealed, there's also a new Gizmo in town. Howie Mandel didn't return to voice the furry troublemaker, and instead veteran voice actor A.J. LoCascio is taking over.
"The funny thing is that Howie Mandel, who voiced the original one, is a person I've never met in my entire life," Galligan said while sitting down with EW in our Comic-Con studio. "I thought A.J. did a great job. It was actually fairly indistinguishable."
Everett Collection Zach Galligan in 'Gremlins'
Gizmo has actually been the subject of controversy lately, as original Gremlins director Joe Dante recently claimed that Baby Yoda, a.ka. Grogu on The Mandalorian, is "out-and-out copied" from his movies.
While executive producer Brendan Hay joked that Dante is Gizmo's rep and handles all his inquiries, LoCascio weighed in on the issue — as Gizmo. Unfortunately we don't speak gremlin, so we can't translate.
As for why they've continued the Gremlins franchise in an animated format, the answer is simple: Gremlins are easier to animate than create via puppetry. "In animation what we can do with gremlins just becomes so much broader," Hay said.
Warner Bros. A promo image for 'Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai'
Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is slated to arrive HBO Max next year. Watch the video above for more from the cast and crew.
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