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Gremlins began in a cramped attic in New York’s garment district, where Chris Columbus lived while studying at New York University. By day, the room seemed tolerable, but at night, he heard mice scratching in the dark. That sound gave him the idea for a story about small creatures causing chaos after sunset.

Columbus wrote Gremlins as a script sample for potential employers. The first draft was a harsh R-rated horror story: the hero’s mother was killed by the creatures, a severed head rolled down the stairs, and Billy and Kate found a McDonald’s where people had been eaten while the food was untouched. CAA circulated the script with little expectation of a film deal. Steven Spielberg noticed it on his assistant’s desk, read it over a weekend, and called Columbus a few days later.

Spielberg bought the script, brought it to Warner Bros., and produced it through Amblin Entertainment. He softened the tone, cut the most violent scenes, and kept Gizmo as a good creature. In the original version, Gizmo was meant to become Stripe. Joe Dante, known for The Howling, was hired to direct.

Released on June 8, 1984, the film opened against Columbia’s Ghostbusters and earned more than $212 million on an $11 million budget. Its PG violence, along with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, helped lead to the PG-13 rating on July 1, 1984. Gremlins 2 followed in 1990, later joined by the licensed Gizmo Furby, Max’s 2023 prequel Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and Warner Bros. Discovery’s 2025 announcement of Gremlins 3 for 2027.