 For the special effects, Joe Dante (I) (qv) turned to  Rick Baker (I) (qv) when Chris Walas (qv) and Rob Bottin (qv)  had to turn it down. Baker was not interested, as he saw this movie  as too much work for a project in which he would not be the creator  but rather a successor to Walas. He was eventually persuaded to  accept the job when it was suggested he could make the gremlins and  mogwai more diverse.