Gremlins: Full Body Gremlin Puppet
This full-body Gremlin puppet, originally part of the London Planet Hollywood collection, is one of the rarest surviving examples of a full body puppet.
The Gremlins Museum
Full Body Gremlin Puppet
one of the LAST SURVIVING EXAMPLES OF A FULL BODY GREMLIN
Introduction
This full-body Gremlin puppet was originally acquired by Planet Hollywood from Chris Walas Inc. (CWI), the effects company behind the creature designs for the 1984 film Gremlins. In 1993, it was shipped to the UK for display at the Planet Hollywood restaurant inside London’s Trocadero Centre, where it became a striking centerpiece for fans of the film. Mounted flush on a wall against a backdrop of red velvet-like material, the Gremlin watched over diners for an impressive 16 years.
Some of the only photos we have of the Gremlin while displayed at Planet Hollywood
When the London Trocadero location closed in 2009, the Gremlin was carefully taken down and shipped back to Planet Hollywood’s warehouse in Florida. Unfortunately, the years spent on display with fluctuating temperatures, dust, and vibrations, had already taken a toll on the delicate foam latex. The transatlantic journey and subsequent storage proved devastating. By the time it was unpacked, the puppet had deteriorated significantly: large portions of its skin had crumbled away, its foam structure had hardened and split, and its iconic snarl was left exposed beneath a flaking exterior.
The Planet Hollywood Gremlin as he arrived for restoration / Photo by Tom Spina Designs
In 2024, the puppet was entrusted to Tom Spina Designs for a challenging restoration, with the project led by artist Patrick Louie. The team carefully reassembled the Gremlin piece by piece, stabilizing the original materials wherever possible while preserving its screen-used integrity. Due to significant foam loss around the face and head, the restorers requested access to a high-resolution 3D scan we had done of another Gremlin puppet in our collection. It acted as a digital mold of sorts, helping the team match the contours and detail of the original puppet. After extensive restoration work, the Gremlin was once again whole — a striking balance of preservation and conservation. It debuted as a featured piece in the Spring 2025 Propstore auction, where we successfully acquired it for our collection.
Photos of the Gremlin in the 2025 Propstore Auction / Photos by Propstore
Despite the incredible restoration work already completed, the Gremlin still required additional attention to make him truly display-ready. One major challenge was that the puppet had been sold with the understanding that it could only be displayed laying down due to its extreme fragility— an issue that limited exhibition possibilities. Given the puppet’s location at Propstore in the Los Angeles area, we enlisted restoration artist Joe Petro of PetroColor Designs to pick up where the previous efforts left off.
Joe was able to go in and tidy up a few areas that remained exposed after the initial restoration. One notable example was the elbows, which still revealed openings where a wooden rod with a metal end would have attached to control the Gremlin’s arm movements during filming.
Photos by PetroColor Design
Joe was also able to restore some flexibility to the Gremlin’s skin, which had become rigid and brittle over time. Through careful treatment, he brought the material closer to its original softness, making it possible to install a basic internal armature in the arms, legs, and ears. This added support not only stabilized the puppet but also allowed it to stand again—something that hadn’t been possible since its removal from display at Planet Hollywood over a decade earlier.
The Original Tail
Of particular note, this full-body Gremlin still features the original tail sculpted by Tony McVey, which was reflected in the original Gremlin sculpt. Although the design made it into early builds, it was later replaced with a sharper, more pointed version that the filmmakers felt better suited the Gremlins’ final look. Most puppets were retrofitted with the updated tail, but a small number featuring the original design did appear on screen. This puppet is a rare and well-preserved example of that early version, offering a unique glimpse into the evolution of the creature’s final form.
How Was it Used in the Movie?
It’s difficult to say definitively whether this particular Gremlin received significant screen time in the film like our Animatronic Gremlin head. That said, there’s strong reason to believe he appeared in both the Dorry’s Tavern and movie theater scenes. Full-body hand puppets like this one were often used alongside animatronics, sometimes featured prominently in the foreground and other times tucked into the background. Based on the available clues, there’s a good chance this puppet saw action: first, it has elbow control points, suggesting it was used for some level of performance on set; and second, the extent of the damage—consistent with a puppet frequently used and exposed to beer and salt—mirrors the type of deterioration seen in puppets with accelerated foam latex breakdown. While it’s tempting to try to pinpoint exactly where this Gremlin appears—like the Irish hat-wearing Gremlin at the bar who also has elbow controllers and an original tail—it remains nearly impossible to identify its exact role with any certainty.
One Last Clue?
It’s hard not to look at the original photos of this Gremlin—particularly the stitching across its chest, which was present when he first arrived—and wonder whether that damage occurred during production or sometime afterward. If it did happen on set, it opens up an intriguing possibility: could this puppet have played the role of the unfortunate Gremlin stabbed by Lynn Peltzer in the kitchen? The idea is purely speculative, but the presence of that stitched area does raise the question. We’ll probably never know for sure—but it’s exactly the kind of mystery that makes studying these surviving puppets so fascinating.
