Rated 4/5, This Must-See Fantasy Film Was Meant to Be Much Darker!

Even four decades later, “Gremlins” is recognized as one of the darker Christmas films, yet it could have been even more grim had screenwriter Chris Columbus (known for “Home Alone,” “Harry Potter”) had his way.

Reflecting on his 1984 Christmas horror film directed by Joe Dante, which received a 4 out of 5 rating from AlloCiné viewers, Chris Columbus mentioned in a recent Vanity Fair interview that the final cut of the movie was “very dark” and recalled the deaths featured in the original script, including whether Gizmo should turn into a gremlin and other plot details.

“I think the father stayed behind to fight the Gremlins. I can’t quite remember if he survived. The mother definitely did not. Billy [played by Zach Galligan] ran down the hallway of his house, and his mother’s head came rolling down the stairs. So, there were deaths. And Barney the dog wasn’t just tangled in the Christmas lights; he was actually hanged by the neck and died. We killed the dog!” Columbus recalled.

Columbus, who is a producer on the recent “Nosferatu,” added: “They ate him! Then they went to McDonald’s and ate the people, but not the food. We had a lot of things that didn’t make it into the final script. Honestly, that sort of thing is in my DNA, so it’s a joy to return to it with something like Nosferatu.”

The Oscar-nominated writer explained that he was too inexperienced in his career to challenge the producer, namely Steven Spielberg, and insist that the film be “as violent as possible,” noting that Spielberg had suggested one of the most crucial changes to the script.

“He was absolutely right,” said Chris Columbus. “Gizmo transformed into a gremlin by page 30 and did not stay [sweet and cuddly] throughout the film. One of Steven’s best ideas was that Gizmo should stay with Billy. He knew, and I didn’t: the audience needed someone to relate to in terms of the gremlins, and that was Gizmo.”

What Chris Columbus Fought For

However, Chris Columbus fought to keep parts of his original script in the film. “We were quite dark, as far as I’m concerned. We ended up with the story of Phoebe Cates’ father dying in the chimney, and the studio wanted to cut it. Steven, Joe Dante, and I fought for that. It’s something I fought for at the time.”

Besides the 1990 sequel, “Gremlins 2: The New Batch,” fans have also been treated to the animated series spin-off “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,” which aired its second season on Max last October.

To dive back into the world of the Gremlins, both films and the series are available for streaming on Max.