Did You Catch All The Gremlins Easter Eggs In That Mt. Dew Zero Commercial?

Friends, the other day you probably saw that there was a reunion of sorts for two of the stars from 1984’s Gremlins – courtesy of a brand new Mountain Dew ad. The humorous commercial features Zach Galligan (Waxwork) reprising his role as Billy Peltzer as well as the adorable Gizmo, who like in the classic Joe Date film is voiced by Howie Mandell (Little Monsters, Bobby’s World). In fact this Mountain Dew commercial is sort of a big thing as it might very well be the last time that Mandell voices the iconic Mogwai – it was revealed last year that he will not voice the character in the upcoming Gremlins: Secrets of The Mogwai animated series on HBO Max. Just in case you haven’t watched the Gremlins Mt. Dew Zero Commerical yet, it gives us a quick look at the life of an older Gizmo and Billy… although perhaps not wiser in this case?

Considering what Billy and Kate (Phoebe Cates) and the citizens of Kingston Falls went through in the 1984 film as well as what they experienced in Gremlins 2 – you really can’t fault their daughter for that massive eye-rolling at her Father, right? Furthermore I have to point out I totally need a collectible based off her personal Mogwai – that thing is amazing!

There are quite a few Easter eggs present in the first few seconds of the Mt. Dew Zero commercial – some a little easier to spot than others. First of all you can see a pair of 3D glasses on the coffee table in front of Billy and Gizmo. However if you look in the background in the upper right-hand corner you will see not only the motorcycle helmet that Gizmo hid in but a poster based off Billy’s caricature of Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) from the 1984 film.

Also visible in those openings moments of the commercial, behind the sofa is a red lamp that looks very similar to the one seen in Billy’s bedroom – in addition there is a postcard that I would be willing to bet is from Billy’s parents in Kingston Falls. You can also see an airplane on a shelf which ties into the gremlins lore from World War II – made popular by Roald Dahl in his 1943 book as a matter of fact.

Of course it is easy to spot the Peltzer company logo on Billy’s vest which I assume means that his Father was able to keep working as an inventor of gadgets. But if you look on the wall you can make out a Gremlins poster and below that is a popcorn machine, which might very well be a nod to the movie theater scene in the 1984 film.

After Gizmo spills the Mt. Dew Zero and begins to spawn more Mogwai, we can see that not only has Billy continued to collect comic books but there are architectural drawings on the table. Possibly hinting that Billy has continued to work as an architectural designer for Daniel Clamp, who was played by John Glover (In the Mouth of Madness) in the 1990 sequel.

In closing out this article, I truly hope that this is just the first in a series of Mt. Dew Zero ads featuring Gizmo and Billy. If you spotted more references to either Gremlins or Gremlins 2 – make sure to point them out in the comments section.