Warner Bros. and New Line are in discussions with filmmaker Zach Cregger about developing a prequel to his hit horror film Weapons, centred on Amy Madigan’s breakout character, Aunt Gladys.
According to multiple sources, the idea would expand on a chapter Cregger originally wrote for Weapons that explored Gladys’s backstory but was cut from the final script for length. No deals are currently in place, and no timeline has been set.
Weapons, which uses a chapter-based structure to focus on different characters, opened to $43 million domestically from 8–10 August, exceeding expectations by more than $10 million.
It has since reached $48 million domestically and $83 million worldwide. The film also achieved the best August Monday gross for a horror title, not adjusted for inflation.
Cregger, whose 2022 debut Barbarian was a breakout success, is currently in pre-production in Prague on a Resident Evil reboot for Columbia Pictures. The project is expected to earn him a reported $20 million fee, with a scheduled release date of September 18 2026.
Alongside the potential Weapons prequel, Cregger’s future projects may include Henchman, an original story that would fall under Warner Bros.’ DC Studios division, and Flood, a sci-fi script he has already completed.
Warner Bros. co-chair Michael De Luca was among the first executives to express interest in Weapons after reading the script in January 2023.
The studio secured the project for $38 million, outbidding other contenders, including Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter before the release of Weapons, Cregger said, “Everything in this business changes on a dime. On the other side of Resident Evil, I may not be able to make anything. You just never know.”
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