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Gremlins director claims that Baby Yoda is a copy of Gizmo

By Evelyn Ulrich

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Auction items from film 'Gremlins 2' at the Rare Film and TV Memorabilia auction at BFI IMAX on September 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Auction items from film 'Gremlins 2' at the Rare Film and TV Memorabilia auction at BFI IMAX on September 18, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images) /
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It’s the battle of “cute” iconic characters.  Joe Dante, the director of the 1984 horror flick, Gremlins, and its 1990 sequel, Gremlins: The New Batch, claims that Disney +’s The Mandalorian‘s Baby Yoda replicates Gizmo the Mogwai, the titular star of the Gremlins franchise.

According to Dante, in an article published by the San Franciso Chronicle, states that both characters are “baby-like” and that Baby Yoda is “shamelessly copied” off of Gizmo.  While Yoda was introduced a couple of years before Gremlins in the the1982 Star Wars installment, The Empire Strikes Back, as a Jedi Master, the design of his younger self was compared.  He won’t pursue any legal action on the matter, though.

Baby Yoda, also known as Grogu, captivated the fans with his cuteness and innocence when introduced in the pilot episode of the Star Wars prequel series, The Mandalorian.  When the pandemic began in early 2020, Baby Yoda curated a series of adorable memes to assist through quarantines and the Covid Blues.  However, the series creator, Jon Favreau, intentionally didn’t want the Baby to be “cute,” but he was “awwed at” anyway.

Gremlins became a pop culture classic soon after its release and snagged five Saturn awards, including Best Horror Film at its 1985 event.  The same year, a young Corey Feldman was nominated for his role as Pete for a Young Artist Award.  Acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg produced the 1984 film while Christopher Columbus wrote it.  He would find further fame with the Home Alone films in the early 90s.

“An Unlikely Friend” Art by Christopher Clark.. Image Courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd.
“An Unlikely Friend” Art by Christopher Clark.. Image Courtesy Lucasfilm Ltd. /

But don’t think that will end the Gremlins and Gizmo.  An animation prequel series, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, will be coming to HBO Max’s streaming platform and cable network Cartoon Network this fall.  The plot will be about a young boy living in 1920s China.  When he meets a young Gizmo, the two take an incredible adventure exploring the Chinese countryside while fighting against cultural folklore and evil Gremlins.  The cast behind the production is B.D. Wong, Ming-Na Wen, James Hong, and Izaac Wing, with Dante being a consultant.

As for Baby Yoda, fans will see him in the upcoming third season of The Mandalorian on Disney+.

Do you agree with Dante? Be sure to sound off in the comments! 

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