Gremlins was released during the summer even though it takes place during the Christmas season and can be considered a "Christmas movie". When asked why he decided to open the film in June, the director,
Joe Dante,
responded that if it opened in November, people would stop watching it after Christmas since it would be "a Christmas movie". Released during the summer it could be come a summer hit that people would want to see over and over again and as an added bonus the cold theater and snowy setting would make it a perfect choice for people wanting to escape the summer heat. The idea worked and Gremlins became a classic for any time of the year.