There have been many classic rivalries in the history of film and television. Freddy vs Jason, Predator vs Alien, “Designing Women” vs “The Golden Girls;” you get the idea. Legendary director Joe Dante may have just started his own blood feud of cuteness between a galaxy far, far away and an iconic 80s film. Is it possible Baby Yoda (real name redacted) is a blatant rip-off of everyone’s favorite “Gremlins” star Gizmo?
One of the major selling points for “The Mandalorian” was the reveal in the first episode of Baby Yoda. While we’d later come to find out his real name- Grogu- that’s what stuck and was a major source of social media fixation and later merchandising. You can’t deny the cuteness factor of the character is high. Which is very similar to what happened both in-universe and real life regarding mogwai Gizmo from “Gremlins.”
Filmmaker Joe Dante, known for his work on “Piranha” and “The Howling,” teamed up with writer Chris Columbus and executive producer Steven Spielberg to unleash Christmas comedy horror “Gremlins” in 1984. The inciting incident begins when the father of main character, Billy, finds Gizmo in an old shop. Unable to resist his unique appeal and cuteness, dad realizes he must have Gizmo as a present for Billy, not understanding how dangerous the mogwai could potentially be.
After the movie’s release, Gizmo merchandise was showing up everywhere. Just…without the danger of spawning evil mogwai and later, gremlins.
The cuteness, the innocence, the merchandising, the plot relevance; none of this has escaped the eye of Joe Dante.
“I think the longevity of (the films) is really key to this one character (Gizmo), who is essentially like a baby,” Dante told the San Francisco Chronicle. “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.”
How serious is he being? If you’re familiar with the man’s filmography, then you know his penchant for sarcasm and humor. Heck, “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” is completely self-deprecating, pointing out the absurdities of its original film. So Dante knows Gizmo is not the first cuddly creature to help sell a product, nor will he be the last. Though he’s still not entirely wrong when you look at how the respective creators marketed the respective cuteness of their critters.
After a long absence from film and television, the “Gremlins” franchise has seen a recent resurgence. There was the Mountain Dew ad featuring the later life adventures of Billy and Gizmo last year. And, an animated series is coming to HBO Max- “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.”
“The Mandalorian” will return for a 3rd season on Disney+. Expect a trailer during D23 later this year.
