Gremlins 2: The New Batch is tonally quite a bit different from the original, but is very entertaining in its own right. Let’s celebrate the 1990 sequel with ten random factoids about the movie you may not have known…
1Director Joe Dante Didn’t Want to Do It (At First)

As we all know, Gremlins was a huge success, leading Warner Bros. to quickly order a sequel. They asked Joe Dante to return as director, but Dante turned the offer down, feeling the first film had a sufficient ending. This left the studio to pursue other directors and creative visions, but the project just couldn’t seem to make traction.
At a certain point, WB returned to Dante, convincing him to direct again by offering certain concessions. This includes giving Dante complete creative control over the movie and a budget three times higher than the original Gremlins.
2There’s a Reference to the Addams Family

Fans of the old black-and-white TV series version of The Addams Family may have noticed a familiar face in the film. John Astin, who played Gomez in the TV series, has a special role in the movie, playing a janitor in one of several of the film’s cameos. But merely including him wasn’t enough, as a not-so-subtle reference to the role is also made.
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When Gizmo sees Astin’s character, it appears the mogwai recognizes him from his former role too. As the janitor walks past Gizmo, the little guy utters “Gomez,” referencing the role which made Astin famous.
3A Deleted Scene (Sort Of) Predicts the Future

Donald Trump might have been President of the United States, but he has a storied history of being known as a smarmy billionaire. This persona has been parodied in many movies from years past, such as Back to the Future Part II, Batman Returns, and Super Mario Bros. Of course, the antagonist Daniel Clamp in Gremlins 2 is also inspired by Trump, which even goes so far as to spoof the Trump Tower by calling it the Clamp Center.
What’s interesting about this particular Trump spoof is a particular line said about the character. In a deleted scene, the chief of security (Robert Picardo) is listening to a series of random voices. One of them is of a man saying, “You know, I have been thinking, Mr. Clamp would make a great president!” Little did they know that would actually happen for his real-life inspiration.
4Billy’s Father Was Set to Return in a Special Appearance

In the first Gremlins, Hoyt Axton appears as Billy’s father. He’s the one who purchases Gizmo as a Christmas present for Billy at the beginning of the movie. According to the DVD commentary track, Billy’s dad was supposed to show up in Gremlins 2 as well.
Originally, Axton was set to reprise the role for a cameo in the sequel. He was intended to appear in the original ending, having designed a special suit for Gizmo to prevent him from coming into contact with water again. However, the scene was scrapped before it was shot for the sake of saving time on the production.
5Leonard Maltin’s Cameo Spoofs His Actual Gremlins Review

Famous film critic Leonard Maltin was not a big fan of the original Gremlins. On the show Entertainment Tonight, Maltin heavily criticized the picture with a scathing review. He referred to the film as “gross” and left it with a mediocre 2 out of 4 stars rating. The rant really stood out at the time, as Maltin’s contemporaries Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel both gave Gremlins glowing reviews.
Although Joe Dante was hurt by Maltin’s scathing review of the original, he decided to turn a negative into a positive. To do this, he offered Maltin a cameo in Gremlins 2, wherein he is attacked by Gremlins while bashing the original movie. “I was just kidding! A ten, it’s a ten!” Maltin yells as the creatures rip him apart. We can only assume it made Dante feel much better to see the gremlins killing his harshest critic. Still, Gremlins 2 fared much better critically with Maltin, this time earning 3 out of 4 stars.
6A Reference to Dracula Was Deleted

There’s certainly no shortage of familiar faces in the second Gremlins movie, and the inclusion of Sir Christopher Lee is among the most awesome. In the film, he plays the mad scientist known as Dr. Catheter. Just as he had done with every other part of his legendary career, Lee owned the role and made it very memorable in his own unique way.
Vintage horror fans may particularly love Lee for his portrayal of Count Dracula in the Hammer Horror films. This background was actually acknowledged in a scene for Gremlins 2, which wound up deleted. In the cut scene, Dr. Catheter tends to a bat injected with “genetic sunblock,” remarking, “I’m told they sometimes feed on blood.”
7It Breaks the Fourth Wall in Three Different Mediums

One of the most enjoyable gags filmgoers appreciated when they saw Gremlins 2 was the special appearance from Hulk Hogan. The scene breaks the fourth wall by making it appear gremlins have invaded the theater and are tinkering with the projector. An usher asks for the help of Hulk Hogan, and the wrestling superstar obliges with a rant against the creatures. Deciding they don’t want a piece of Hulkamania, the gremlins decide to resume the film as normal at that point.
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Of course, the issue with this scene is that it doesn’t work for the home video release. To accommodate this, an alternate scene was created where the Gremlins stop the VHS tape and start traveling through other channels. This leads to a wild west showdown with John Wayne, voiced by a skilled impersonator. While the Hulkster isn’t present, the VHS version is just as entertaining in its own way.
Additionally, the official novelization for Gremlins 2 also makes use of this trick. In the book, the Brain Gremlin locks author David Bischoff in the bathroom and takes control of the novel. He mocks the writer by referring to him as “Mr. Glasses” before Bischoff breaks free, subduing the gremlin and resuming the book.
8The Movie Inspired Multiple Children’s Books

While it makes sense for there to be a novelization tie-in for Gremlins 2, what’s strange is that the film spawned multiple children’s books as well. Sure, the film is PG-13 and didn’t quite have the excessive gore seen in R-rated films. Still, it doesn’t come across as a movie you’d expect to be marketed to very small children.
First, Little Golden Books published a tie-in children’s book called Gizmo to the Rescue. Goldencraft later published one called Gremlins 2: The New Batch: Movie Storybook, written by Michael Teitelbaum. Over in the UK, Buzz Books also made two picture books for kids called Don’t Get Wet and Midnight Feast. Honestly, they all seem like awesome pieces of memorabilia to own.
9There Were Also Many Official Video Games

There were many official video games to be made based on Gremlins 2. The first one was a PC game developed by Spanish company Topo Soft, which was a side-scroller where players dispatched gremlins with various weapons. Another Gremlins 2 game for DOS was released by Hi-Tech Expressions soon after, though it was not as well-received.
For the console gamers wanting a Gremlins 2 video game, Nintendo had them covered. Developed by Sunsoft, the Gremlins 2 game for the NES lets players control Gizmo to fight through multiple gremlin-filled levels. A Game Boy version was also later released, letting players play as Gizmo in a new side-scroller.
10Key & Peele Satirized the Film’s Writing in a Parody Sketch

Jordan Peele may be best known these days as one of the biggest names in horror, having helmed the critical darlings Get Out and Us. Before his transition into the horror genre, however, he was performing sketch comedy on the Comedy Central series Key & Peele. With co-host Keegan-Michael Key, the show presented many very memorable sketches which are still very entertaining.
One of the best Key & Peele sketches of all imagines the writer’s room for Gremlins 2. Playing a character called the Hollywood Sequel Doctor, Peele emerges to “assist” the writers in crafting the perfect script. Each writer in the room then pitches out one crazy idea to another, and Peele loves each one, always exclaiming, “It’s in the movie!” Better yet, all of the pitches are for things actually in the movie, as shown by a disclaimer message at the end of the skit.