‘Gremlins’ Director Joe Dante Accuses Baby Yoda Of Being A Gizmo Rip Off

‘The Mandalorian’ is another in a series of successful entries into the legendary Star Wars franchise. One of its most popular characters isn’t a bounty hunter or intergalactic warrior, though. It’s Baby Yoda, the tiny, pointy-eared creature that fans find adorable.

For Joe Dante, the director of the horror comedy classic, ‘Gremlins,’ the resemblance to one of his creations is too striking to be a coincidence. Dante believes Baby Yoda is a direct and obvious ripoff of Gizmo, the fuzzy little guy responsible for all the monster carnage in both Gremlins films. He thinks there is no doubt the Star Wars character is a copy of the famous Mogwai.

Joe Dante spoke about the similarities between the two with the San Francisco Chronicle. He was promoting the upcoming HBO Max series ‘Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai.’ Dante called the alleged rip-off “shameless.”

“I think the longevity is really key to this one character… Which brings me, of course, to the subject of Baby Yoda, who is completely stolen and is just out-and-out copied. Shamelessly, I would think.”

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Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau never mentioned any inspiration for Baby Yoda being taken from Gremlins. He said he saw it as a cross between Michaelangelo and ET. Still, the physical similarities are striking.

Joe Dante is serving as a consultant on the new animated Gremlins series. While he did have a ‘wry smile’ when he discussed the potential rip-off, it’s easy to see the similarities. When the new HBO show releases, fans will get an idea about the origins of the mysterious Mogwai but don’t expect any crossover with Disney’s beloved creature.

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