Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai Cast Reveal Movies That Scared Them as Children

The star-studded cast of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai reveal which classic films used to scare them as children. The animated original series debuting on Max (previously known as HBO Max) this week takes fans back to 1920s Shanghai, where a young Mr. Wing from the original 1984 Gremlins first meets the adorable little Gizmo. The voice cast of Secrets of the Mogwai features the likes of Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, James Hong, Matthew Rhys, Zach Galligan, director Joe Dante, executive producers Tzu Chun and Brendan Hay, and Izaac Wang, AJ Locascio, and Gabrielle Nevaeh. ComicBook.com recently asked the trio to list which movies used to bring the fear out of them as kids.

ComicBook.com’s Chris Killian spoke to Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, and James Hong ahead of the release of Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, where he asked the stars to list their scary movies. “I was obsessed with The Exorcist,” said BD Wong. “People were fainting in The Exorcist, and I was too young to see it, and I was dying to see it. So that would be my answer to that.” He later admitted that he would eventually see the movie.

“Gremlins are a creature born out of the evil thoughts of these writers. I don’t see how they can find these characters and make them come alive, so it’s wonderful that there are producers and directors that can create things like that for us to see,” James Hong said. “In a sense it’s evil, but it’s nice on the other hand too, so that’s what captured me.” The iconic actor then revealed he’s coming out with his own comic book series that’s in the works.

Secrets of the Mogwai Cast List Their Scary Movies

Ming-Na Wen, who played Agent Melinda May on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., added how the original Gremlins used to terrify her growing up.

“I don’t so much like scary movies now, but definitely Gremlins scared me,” she said. “I used to love scary movies, but now as a mom I’m less so.” 

Matthew Rhys, who also grew up as a Gremlins fan, reiterated how much it pleases him to be a part of the franchise. “One of the reasons I desperately wanted to do this project was as a 10-year-old boy, I had an incredibly visceral cinematic experience watching it with my parents, “Rhys revealed. “My mother said, ‘You’re going to have nightmares for months,’ and it was more like years. The movie to me was such an important moment in my childhood, because it was groundbreaking in a way. I’d never seen a movie that juggled those tones of horror and comedy in such a deft way.”

“The earliest movie that terrified me when I was about five was The Blob, with Steve McQueen” Zach Galligan said. He starred as the hero “Billy Peltzer” in Amblin’s original Gremlins films. He then commented on one memorable scene of The Blob being poked and prodded with a stick. He also added The Exorcist to his personal list.

Director Joe Dante and executive producers Tze Chun and Brendan Hay listed their scary movies. Hay was one of the many to name Gremlins, along with Superman III. Dante revealed the giant ant movie Them! from 1954 and Tarantula!, and Chun ended with Chinese vampire movies. Finally, the young voice cast of Secrets of Mogwai members gave their selections. AJ Locascio named Gremlins, Jurassic Park, and E.T., Izaack Wang despises zombies and was fearful of Game of Thrones, and Gabrielle Nevaeh was scared of Monster House.

Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai premieres Tuesday, May 23rd on Max.