Long before Mr. Wing became the owner of the curiosity shop seen in Joe Dante’s first Gremlins film, he was a kid in 1920s Shanghai, where he encountered a mysterious creature named Gizmo. That’s the set up for long-awaited animated prequel series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai—and Max (aka HBO Max) has just released the first trailer.
The magical adventure story brings young Sam Wing (Izaac Wang) into Gizmo’s (voiced by AJ LoCascio) journey to stay alive and not break the important rules which protect the world from Gremlin chaos. Showrunner and executive producer Tze Chun (Gotham, TKO Studios comics) expands the lore behind the cute but dangerous critters, building the Mogwai myth alongside fantastical encounters with ancient Chinese legends and cyptids.
Watch the trailer for a new look at the Steven Spielberg-produced series, coming to Max from Amblin and Warner Bros. Animation.
The rest of the cast includes Gabrielle Nevaeh as Elle, a young pal of Sam’s; Matthew Rhys as industrialist Riley Green; Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, and James Hong as Sam’s parents and grandfather; and original Gremlins star Zach Galligan, playing a new character here. Other voice talent includes Sandra Oh, Randall Park, George Takei, and Bowen Yang.
Max’s Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai will debut with the first two episodes dropping on the streamer May 23.
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