Max's Secrets Of The Mogwai Changes Gizmos's Established History

More than three decades have passed since "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" took the Mogwai saga to the big, bad city for a bout of skyscraper-destroying shenanigans. But it seems the powers that be are finally ready to reboot the saga — this time in the form of an animated prequel series. Titled "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai," the series is set to debut on the soon-to-be re-branded Max streaming platform in a matter of weeks. And when it does, it promises to deliver a folk-tinged adventure beyond belief.

It'll do so with a crack voice cast in tow, by the way. Ming-Na Wen, Matthew Rhys, B.D. Wong, James Hong, Sandra Oh, and many more will be contributing to the action. Per the just-released trailer, the 10-part series will be centered around the franchise's oh-so-adorable creature Gizmo and take place several decades before inventor Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) shiftily purchases the light, water, and food-sensitive Mogwai as a Christmas gift for his son in 1984's "Gremlins."

As any true "Gremlins" fan can attest, it was the elder Peltzer who gave Gizmo his name in that film. And yes, that fact has some fans puzzled over one particular scene in the "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai" because the fuzzy little Mogwai is apparently already going by that name in the new series. And just how he would've given himself that name is proving quite the head-scratcher indeed. 

If you've yet to watch the "Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai" trailer, the series is set to pull back the curtain on the origin of Gizmo and the Mogwai nation. And it seems Gizmo himself will once again be the creature at the center of an outbreak of murderous, anarchic gremlins. As for wide-eyed Mogwai's unexpected name-check, that moment comes early in the trailer when he introduces himself to his new caregiver as Gizmo. 

On the surface, that name-check makes a lot of sense, as it obviously ties the series and the character to the beloved later films in the franchise. But past that, it's pretty much absurd to retcon Gizmo's "Gremlins" naming, in part because "Secrets of the Mogwai" is clearly set well before that word would even have existed. It also undoes Gizmo's legacy in unnecessary ways, essentially undoing a crucial part of the creature's "modern-day" lore from "Gremlins." 

It should be noted that Gizmo is running amok in "Secrets of the Mogwai," with a young version of Sam Wing, the man who initially refused to sell the creature to Randall Peltzer in "Gremlins" before his plucky grandson made a back alley deal. So there's at least a chance series creatives will find a clever way to explain away the naming. That's even more likely given that "Gremlins" masterminds Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante (who also directs the pilot episode) are involved as producers. Here's hoping at least those powerhouse filmmakers have recognized the potential naming issue and are already planning to address it.