Gremlins Director Believes Baby Yoda Is 'Out-and-Out Copied' From Gizmo Character

If The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda looks oddly familiar, the reason might be that we've seen him before, but in a different form. This week, Gremlins director Joe Dante told the San Francisco Chronicle that he believes Baby Yoda was based on Gizmo the Mogwai, the furry, lovable gremlin from his 1984 film.

"I think the longevity of [Gremlins] is really key to this one character [Gizmo], who is essentially like a baby," said Dante. "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."

There's no doubt both Gizmo and Baby Yoda share several similarities, such as the shape of their ears and bodies and the sounds they make to communicate. However, The Mandalorian showrunners have said the films E.T. and Paper Moon were their main inspirations for Baby Yoda, not the Gremlins franchise.

For now, Baby Yoda has a leg up on the competition, but Gizmo will soon be returning to the screen in Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, a new animated series at HBO Max.

The Mandalorian is available to stream on Disney+.

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Deena ElGenaidi's writing has been featured in Nylon, MTV News, Insider, The AV Club, and more. You can follow her on Twitter @deenaelg.