Chris Columbus Reveals Darker Details of Gremlins’ Original Script Before Spielberg’s Crucial Changes: ‘One Thing I Did Fight For’

by

As a lifelong fan of Gremlins, I must confess that hearing about Chris Columbus‘ original, even darker script has left me both terrified and intrigued. If the 1984 film was already giving me nightmares, imagine what this bloodier, more brutal version would have done!

If you believe that Chris Columbus’ Gremlins is among the darkest Christmas films ever made, it could have been even more spine-tingling. Columbus has disclosed that there was an even darker original script for the 1984 film, featuring one scene he battled to keep in the final cut.

The movie “Gremlins” is a popular dark comedy set during the holidays, with Joe Dante as the director and Chris Columbus handling the script. In this film, Howie Mandel portrays Gizmo, while Zach Galligan takes on the role of Billy Peltzer, Phoebe Cates stars as Kate Beringer, Hoyt Axton plays Randall, Polly Holliday is Ruby Deagle, and Frances Lee McCain acts as Lynn.

In a recent interview, Columbus shared that the original 1984 script for the movie was significantly darker than what ended up being filmed. He disclosed that an earlier version featured more gruesome deaths, such as Billy’s mother, portrayed by Polly Holliday, being beheaded and her head rolling down the stairs. Additionally, the family pet dog, Barney, wasn’t just trapped in Christmas lights; he was hanged and killed while the Gremlins consumed him.

Columbus relayed to Vanity Fair that it seemed the father had stayed behind to fight off the Gremlins, but I’m not entirely sure if he made it through alive. The mother, however, definitely did not survive. Billy rushed into the entrance hall of their home, and his mother’s head sadly tumbled down the stairs. There were indeed fatalities, and Barney the dog met an unfortunate end. He was hung up in the Christmas lights, but more tragically, he was hanged by the neck and passed away. We lost the dog.

He added, “We ended up with the story of Phoebe Cates’s father dying in the chimney, and the studio wanted to cut it. Steven and Joe Dante and I fought for that. That was one thing I did fight for at the time.”

As a die-hard admirer, I can’t help but share my excitement over Columbus, who’s fresh off his work on Nosferatu! He recently hinted at some intriguing tidbits about the film, mentioning that certain sinister aspects were omitted for reasons unknown. To give you an idea, he casually dropped this mind-boggling detail: “They ventured into McDonald’s and dined on people—not the food!” Now, isn’t that a fascinating twist?

Later on, Columbus admitted that, being relatively inexperienced in the field, he lacked the authority to contest Steven Spielberg’s decisions. In actuality, Spielberg introduced a significant alteration to the screenplay – he felt it was ill-advised for Gizmo to transform into a Gremlin near the beginning of the film.

In simpler terms, Chris Columbus agreed that it was essential for the audience to see Gizmo alongside Billy throughout the film, as this would help them connect with the gremlins more easily. This wasn’t necessarily what was originally planned.

Read More

2024-12-26 14:09