Disney stole the look of The Mandalorian breakout star Grogu from Gizmo the Mogwai, according to Gremlins director Joe Dante.
While many fans of both franchises have noted some definite similarities, it’s interesting that the director of the classic 80s horror comedy Gremlins has come right out and said it.
The subject of Grogu came up during promotion for an upcoming screening of Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch in San Francisco.
“I think the longevity of (the Gremlins films) is really key to this one character (Gizmo), who is essentially like a baby,” the legendary horror and science fiction filmmaker said with a wry smile, during a video chat ahead of his appearance in San Francisco. “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.”
Curiously, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy worked on both projects. Kennedy was an producer on Gremlins, along with Steven Spielberg. It’s likely that Gremlins influenced Grogu, as The Mandalorian is a throwback to old school Star Wars and 1980s Spielberg era filmmaking.
The showrunners maintain that Grogu was based more on E.T. than Gizmo.
But this isn’t all there is for the Gremlins franchise. The HBO Max animated series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai is coming soon, and stars Mandalorian alum Ming-Na Wen.
[Source: MSNBC]
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