'Weapons' “true story” origins explained by director Zach Cregger

Director Zach Cregger says Weapons' fictional plot was shaped by personal loss, despite the film's “true story” claim.

Weapons opens with the line, “This is a true story,” a statement that has led some viewers to believe the film’s events actually happened. While the premise — involving the unexplained disappearance of 17 children from a small town — sounds like a case fit for a true crime documentary, the plot is entirely fictional.

The story was shaped by a real event in the life of director Zach Cregger: the sudden death of his best friend, Trevor Moore.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Cregger said, “I had a tragedy in my life that was really, really tough. Someone very, very, very close to me died suddenly and… I just started writing Weapons… as a way to reckon with my own emotions.”

Certain chapters of the film are autobiographical, reflecting his own experience of grief. However, the missing children narrative and other plot elements were invented.

To promote the film, Warner Bros created the MaybrookMissing.com website featuring fictional in-universe news articles, further blurring the line between fact and fiction.

In Rolling Stone, Cregger explained that the loss occurred during post-production on his 2022 film Barbarian.

“Like the rest of the world, I don’t want to watch another horror movie about grief,” he said, though he admitted the themes of loss became central to Weapons. Conversations with fellow director Ari Aster encouraged him to embrace the personal aspects of the script.

The director described Weapons as more inward-looking compared to Barbarian, focusing on his own life and emotions. The opening line, “This is a true story,” was the first sentence he wrote, using it as a starting point to explore the fictional mystery.

While the events of Weapons did not occur, Cregger’s personal experiences deeply influenced its emotional core, shaping a narrative that combines fictional horror with real-life inspiration.