10 Last-Minute Changes That Saved Horror Movies

It's debatable who the greatest '80s movie hero is, but there's no doubt who's the most adorable. Despite the fact Gizmo plunges a whole town into disarray in Gremlins, it's impossible not to be won over by the troublesome mogwai. Sure, he may have accidentally spawned a legion of murderous gremlins, but that doesn't mean he's the bad guy, right?

Ironically, that's exactly what Gizmo was supposed to be. 

In Joe Dante's horror-comedy, Billy does everything in his power to save the townspeople from Gizmo's offspring, led by an insidious gremlin called Stripe. But in the original script, it was Gizmo who transformed into Stripe, becoming the main antagonist. This development would create a huge conflict for Billy, since he'd be forced to watch his loving pet turn into evil incarnate.

Although it's an intriguing idea, it would've been heart-breaking to see the innocent critter become a monster. (Also, it would really hurt toy sales.) Producer Steven Spielberg loved Gizmo so much, he convinced Dante to make him and Stripe two separate characters. That way, Gremlins would still have the big scary villain, but also have a much, much cuter hero.