We've heard of a string of poor choice direct to DVD sequels, The Lost Boys 2 being just the latest one, well now there's news that another great franchise is about to get the same treatment, in Gremlins 3!

According to reports both Joe Dante and the producer Michael Finnell have revealed that Warner Brothers are working on developing it and that neither of them are involved. Dante says it fair and square:

“Gremlins was governed by the technology that produced it. Now it would be CHI [CGI - glad to see Clint makes the odd typo too, he is human after all!], and you could do anything. There may be places for the jokes to go...But you’ve got a company who owns the rights to a movie that they don’t quite understand. I think it’s going to be difficult for them to make another one”

Moviehole carry the news from Empire Magazine.

I can hardly believe they'd consider such a thing. In my mind there are three things that made the Gremlins films so good. The first is the fact that they were limited in the technology for the creatures and we got those excellent puppets, the second is the superb comic scripting and the Hollywood take off scenes with the Gremlins, and the third was a boyhood crush on Phoebe Cates.

Nowadays, with the CGI, I think the creatures will lose their charm, and I think the clever and witty script will be mishandled by a team who just can't stand up to Dante's work. Cheap DVD release it will be, and pretty damn poor if you ask me too. Oh, and even if Cates is in it, I can't see it pulling me back, can you?