Steven Spielberg's Gremlins franchise has arrived on HBO Max, reviving interest in the horror-adjacent films just as talk of a long-awaited third instalment gathers pace. Spielberg, whose own directing style leans towards adventure rather than horror, has nonetheless produced several genre entries over the decades, with Gremlins standing as his most successful contribution to the field.

Gremlins began as a spec script by then-unknown writer Chris Columbus, which Spielberg optioned for his Amblin Entertainment banner before handing directing duties to Joe Dante; the 1984 film followed teenager Billy and his creature Gizmo, whose mishandling unleashes destructive gremlins on Christmas. Its success led to 1990's Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Both films are now streaming on HBO Max, and Columbus is reportedly writing and attached to direct Gremlins 3, with Spielberg producing, targeting a tentative release date of 19 November 2027; it remains unclear whether Dante or the original cast will be involved.