Ming-Na Wen proud ‘Gremlins’ cartoon spotlights Chinese culture, characters
NEW YORK, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Ming-Na Wen says she is proud that her animated series, Gremlins: The Wild Batch, explores early 20th century Asian culture in the United States better than the live-action Gremlins movies made and set in the 1980s.
"In the original films -- which I loved, I was a big fan of Gremlins -- they took a Chinese folklore fable of the Mogwai and just added the mysterious Mr. Wing and this weird little Gizmo [creature], and it became how it affected White suburbia and all the characters in that world," Wen, 60, told UPI in a recent Zoom interview.
"I love the fact that now we've been given the chance to put the spotlight on the Chinese and their stories and have all these characters and why and how Gizmo ended up in America," Wen said.
"It's sort of full circle and still having [filmmakers] Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante attached to it, it kind of gives it that grounding that makes it all worthwhile and balanced now."
Premiering Thursday on Max, Season 2 of Gremlins: The Wild Batch is set in the 1920s, one year after the Wing family saved the world from the titular, havoc-wreaking monsters in Season 1.
The new episodes follow the adorable, magical Gizmo (AJ LoCascio), and his human guardians, Sam Wing (Izaac Wang) and Elle (Gabrielle Nevaeh), as they travel by enchanted portal from their home in Shanghai to San Francisco.
As soon as they realize what happened, Sam's cautious mother Fong Wing (Wen) and thrill-seeking Grandpa Wing (James Hong) chase after them with the intention of bringing them home.
"The kid [Sam] is sick of doing mediocre things in Shanghai," said Hong, 95. "So, he takes Gizmo to San Francisco along with Elle, and that's where a whole new episode of adventures begin and go on for, hopefully, another season or two."
Hong said Grandpa initially is reluctant to return to the United States because he has a secret past there, but he goes, anyway, to protect his grandson and his friends.
"They don't know nothing, these kids. They are young and inexperienced compared to Grandpa. Grandpa has actually been there before," Hong said.
"But we can't tell you too much about it until you see the new episodes, because there we see how the grandfather is associated with the gremlins."
The voice cast also includes Simu Liu, BD Wong, George Takei, Michael Paul Chan, Ronny Chieng, Keith David, Will Forte, Kelly Hu, Jimmy O. Yang and John Glover.
"There's new gremlins, believe it or not. Good and evil, and there's new [voice] talent," Hong said of his co-stars. "They all participate in voicing these wonderful characters of dragons and creatures and big monsters."
Hong said he is able to watch and enjoy the show as a viewer.
"It's amazing what they did in the animation. When I looked at the first episode, I was flabbergasted at how good it was in the sense of creating this kind of animation and cartoon that's not like the modern artificial intelligence type of thing," he added.
"It's got a little bit of the old-fashioned mixed in with the new, and the characters are wonderful together," Hong said. "Look at the first episode and you'll be hooked forever."
Wen said she loves working with Hong, an actor she has known since they both lent their voices to characters in 1998's Mulan.
"He's always an inspiration and I think, for Fong, it's like, 'Here we go again!'" Wen said.
"She just wants to run her shop with Hon, voiced by BD, and just have a family unit at home and be all safe and secure and, instead, they're always running off and causing trouble.
"Fong, at first, is frustrated and exasperated, but I think through the course of Season 2, she starts to really understand and respect Grandpa and, in fact, become inspired to want to have a bit of adventure and fun herself."
2024 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published October 3, 2024 at 5:00 AM