Warner Bros. Delays Gremlins 3 to 2027, Pushes DC's Dynamic Duo to September 2028

Warner Bros. has quietly restructured its upcoming theatrical slate, pushing two high-profile genre projects into new release windows that signal both caution and ambition. The studio confirmed that an untitled Gremlins sequel — widely referred to as Gremlins 3 — will now arrive on October 6, 2027, a full year later than its previously announced November 2027 target. At the same time, DC's experimental animated feature Dynamic Duo, which follows the early adventures of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, has been moved from June 2028 to September 22, 2028. The changes were first reported by Warner Bros. itself via a social media teaser that simply read "10.6.28. Only In Theaters," offering fans a concrete date after months of speculation.

For audiences tracking the studio's franchise strategy, these moves matter because they reflect how Warner Bros. is balancing legacy IP revival with bold stylistic experimentation. Gremlins 3 represents a decades-in-the-making passion project for Chris Columbus, who wrote the original 1984 film and directed classics like Home Alone. Dynamic Duo, meanwhile, marks DC Studios' first major swing at a hybrid animation style under the new leadership of James Gunn and Peter Safran, with Matt Reeves also producing. The September shift for the Robins film suggests the studio wants breathing room after a crowded summer 2028, while the October horror-adjacent slot for Gremlins 3 aligns with the franchise's seasonal DNA.

Gremlins 3 Finds Its Date Under Chris Columbus

The Gremlins franchise has been dormant since 1990's Gremlins 2: The New Batch, and Columbus has spoken publicly for over a decade about his desire to return to the property. His involvement as director on the third installment is the strongest signal yet that the project is moving beyond development limbo. The new October 6, 2027 date places the film squarely in the pre-Halloween corridor, a strategic window that worked for the original's June release but now leans into the creature-feature tradition of autumn horror-comedy rollouts. With two years until release, meaningful footage remains scarce, though the studio's teaser — showing a creature emerging from a backpack with a mischievous "Uh oh!" — confirms practical effects and puppet work remain central to the production's identity.

Columbus's return matters because he understands the tonal tightrope the franchise requires: genuine menace balanced with Looney Tunes absurdity. The one-year delay likely reflects the complexity of blending practical creature work with modern VFX pipelines, a challenge the original films navigated with significant animatronics. For fans, the October 2027 date is a firm commitment — something the project has lacked for years — and positions the film as a potential tentpole for Warner Bros.' late-2027 slate.

Here's a thinking process:

Dynamic Duo is shaping up to be DC's most visually ambitious animated feature to date. The film will employ a hybrid technique combining traditional CG animation, stop motion, and puppetry — a deliberate departure from the house style established by DC's recent animated output. Matt Reeves, director of The Batman, and James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, are both producing, signaling high-level creative investment. The September 22, 2028 release date moves the film out of a competitive June corridor and into a late-summer slot that has historically favored family-friendly event animation.

The Spider-Verse comparison is unavoidable, and the source material suggests Warner Bros. is explicitly chasing that lightning. Dynamic Duo focuses on younger versions of Dick Grayson and Jason Todd, leaning into the same youthful energy and visual invention that made Sony's Spider-Man films resonate beyond core comic readers. Whether the Robins carry the same cultural weight as Spider-Man remains an open question, but the animation hybrid approach — if executed well — could give the film a tactile, handmade texture that distinguishes it from the increasingly homogeneous look of mainstream CG features. The three-month delay suggests the mixed-media pipeline needs more time, which is a healthy sign for a technique this complex.

10.6.28. Only In Theaters. pic.twitter.com/kZVLPrNd12

— Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) September 23, 2026

Both films now have firm theatrical dates, which is more than Warner Bros.' genre slate has offered in recent years. The real test comes in execution: Columbus must prove the Gremlins formula still works thirty-seven years later, while Dynamic Duo needs to justify its experimental animation budget with a story that earns its visual audacity. September 2028 will reveal whether DC's Robins can carry a feature — and October 2027 will show if the mogwai still have teeth.

1. 2026-09-23 (@warnerbros) September 23, 2026 DC's experimental Robins movie Dynamic Duo, which will follow Dick Grayson and Jason Todd's early adventures, is also moving…
2. 2027-10-06 An untitled Gremlins film, tentatively referred to as Gremlins 3, was set to release November 2027, but has been delayed a whole year to October 6, 2027.
3. 2028-09-22 The film was originally slated for June 2028, but will now open on September 22, 2028.