Where would the world be without Gremlins? The classic horror-comedy creature feature directed by Joe Dante and penned by Chris Columbus immediately took the world by storm when it was released in 1984, raking in over $212 million globally on an $11 million budget and spawning an entire franchise that spans a sequel, an upcoming legacy follow-up, the animated Secrets of the Mogwai prequel series, books, and more. Even now, there are plenty of people who still know who Gizmo is and that you never feed a Mogwai after midnight, and the original film's impact has been felt in everything from Ghoulies to Stranger Things. Surprisingly, though, there was actually a Sliding Doors moment where Warner Bros. nearly ditched the massive hit before they even realized what they had.

Editor's note: The below interview contains spoilers for Dutton Ranch Episode 4.

Richard E. Grant tells Collider’s Steve Weintraubhe immediately found the appeal of writer-director Peter Glanz’s (The Longest Week) grotesque sophomore feature, Savage House, upon his first read of the script. This dark comedy, which premiered at SXSW London, is a satirical tale of two 18th-century social climbers, Sir Chauncey Savage (Grant) and his wife, Lady Savage, played by The Crown’s Claire Foy, who are desperately clawing for status and wealth, even as they near bankruptcy, never mind the massive pox outbreak or social upheaval of the time.