Joe Dante, director of 1984’s Gremlins, had a wild theory about the true origin of the Mogwai that contradicts the horror comedy’s official novelization. Written by Chris Columbus, the Christmas-set Gremlins is fondly remembered for its macabre tone and the creation of the Mogwai. Initially cuddly and innocent, the creatures prove deadly when they transform into vicious reptilian gremlins.
Set in an idyllic small town over the festive season, Gremlins sees Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) receive a bizarre early Christmas present – a Mogwai named Gizmo. The furry creature is completely harmless; however, when Billy accidentally breaks one of the three essential care rules and gets him wet, Gizmo spawns several more Mogwai. The new creatures soon transform into mischievous monsters, led by the sadistic Stripe. Aided by the Christmas-hating Kate (Phoebe Cates) and the heroic Gizmo, Billy tries to destroy the gremlins in a movie theater before the final showdown with Stripe in a department store.
Despite the murders and obscene behavior exhibited by the evil Mogwai, Gremlins remains a heartfelt movie thanks to the cuddly and good-natured Gizmo. The movie’s official novelization reveals Mogwai are an alien species created by a scientist called Mogturmen. However, according to an interview (via Empire), Gremlins director Joe Dante had his own wild theory for the Mogwai origin, believing they are the hybrid of a Chinese animal and a mythical creature. Meanwhile, the horror comedy’s production designer revealed his separate inspiration behind Gizmo.
Speaking in the Gremlins reunion interview with Empire, Joe Dante disputed the novelization’s Mogwai origin. He revealed, “George Gipe, who wrote that, never got to see the movie… In my mind, they came from China, and were the results of the mating of a dragon and a panda.” It’s a strange theory, but not one that’s entirely implausible within the context of Gremlins. Dante claimed Gipe’s Mogwai origin was “complicated,” and he’s correct. Making the Mogwai aliens was an unnecessary detail that was never addressed in either of the two Gremlins movies, even if it does open up the potential for bizarre, intergalactic sequels. Joe Dante’s Mogwai origin is simpler, and it’s easy to understand his thinking. The gremlins’ scaly texture does resemble a dragon, and their initial round, furry bodies are quite panda-like. Considering Gizmo was found in a mysterious shop in Chinatown, it’s possible the creatures could have originated in China.
Although Gremlins and Piranha director Joe Dante cited dragons and pandas, the film’s crew used different animals for inspiration. The reptilian design for the gremlins appeared in the script, drawn by Chris Columbus. In the Empire interview, production designer Chris Walas recalled Columbus’ description of the gremlins as “armored things with big white spiked horns.” He added, “I wanted a visual connection to the Mogwai. That’s why they have those huge ears.” An early idea for portraying the gremlins was to have monkeys wearing costumes, and a specific primate did inspire Gizmo’s design. In Cut Print Film’s oral history of Gremlins, Walas revealed he based the furry Mogwai on a tarsier but exaggerated its features. Another scrapped concept was a floppy-eared Mogwai resembling a Cocker Spaniel. Executive producer and legendary director Steven Spielberg then stepped in, requesting Gizmo share his dog's coloring. Walas continued, “So we had to look at photos and match the fur of his beagle.” Evidently, there was never a clear idea of the Mogwai origin during production.
Joe Dante’s theory about a dragon and panda hybrid is an interesting one that could eventually be explored. Yet, neither Gipe's novel nor Dante’s theory provides a perfect origin for the Mogwai, and perhaps it would have been best if the creatures remained unexplained. Part of their allure is their undefined but animalistic nature, featuring bat-like ears but soft and cuddly enough for Gremlins to be marketed, controversially, towards children.