Everything You Need to Know About ‘Weapons,’ Zach Cregger’s Follow-Up to ‘Barbarian’

Cregger Sold His ‘Weapons’ Spec Script In Old-School Bidding War

On the morning of January 22, 2023, Zach Cregger’s spec script ‘Weapons’ hit the market. But according to an announcement The Hollywood Reporter published a few days later, in the days and weeks leading up to the drop, producers and studios were already scrambling to be a part of the project. Some made offers without having even seen the script. This is the power of making a film that grosses 10x its budget. 

Alas, these interested parties would have to wait until everyone could take a peek. But within a day, it would quickly be taken off the table and put in the loving hands of New Line Cinema. The Warner Media offset has had a lot of success in the horror genre with franchises such as ‘It’ and ‘The Nun,’ but its real draw is what it could offer to Cregger. Not only did he receive  an eight figure deal to write and direct, but he also an automatic greenlight, final cut privileges, and a guaranteed theatrical window — all rarities in today’s difficult Hollywood economy.

Pedro Pascal Was The First Announced Cast Member

In a follow-up a few months later, after the WGA strike had begun — but prior to SAG-AFTRA joining the picket — The Hollywood Reporter announced Pedro Pascal had joined the project in May 2023. A fall start date was eyed for shooting at the time. The secrecy surrounding the script made it unclear which role Pascal (or any of the subsequently announced stars) was playing, but the star power only added to the film’s anticipated status. 

Josh Brolin Replaced Pedro Pascal in February 2024

‘Weapons’ was not able to make its planned fall shoot due to the SAG-AFTRA strike and ended up being delayed to 2024. It wasn’t long before Pascal — who has one of Hollywood’s busiest schedules with roles in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 and the upcoming Disney blockbusters ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ and ‘The Fantastic Four’ — was forced to exit the project. 

But all was not lost, as Marvel appears to have offered one of its own to ‘Weapons.’ Thanos himself, Josh Brolin, most recently seen in ‘Dune: Part 2’, stepped in to take over for Pascal in February 2024 (per The Hollywood Reporter). This is the first time Brolin has dipped his toe into the horror genre despite his well-known involvement in sci-fi and comic-book movies. He’ll next be seen in ‘Brothers’, Max Barbakow’s follow-up to his time-loop comedy ‘Palm Springs’.

Julia Garner Joined The Cast in April 2024

The connections between ‘Weapons’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ continued to grow when Julia Garner, who is set to play Silver Surfer alongside Pascal’s Mr. Fantastic in the upcoming Marvel movie, joined Brolin in the cast in April 2024 (via Deadline). She’s currently working on another delayed project, writer/director Leigh Whannell’s reinterpretation of ‘The Wolf Man’ for Blumhouse and Universal, and also stars in the upcoming ‘Apartment 7A’ for Paramount.

Alden Ehrenreich Is Loaded In

Hot off his snarky, scene-stealing performance in this year’s Best Picture winner ‘Oppenheimer’, as well as his deliciously psychotic turn in Chloe Domont’s ‘Fair Play’, Aldren Ehrenreich has been added to the cast of ‘Weapons’ alongside Josh Brolin and Julia Garner according to Deadline. Familiar with the Marvel family as well, Ehrenreich will soon be seen in the upcoming ‘Ironheart’ miniseries for Disney+.

‘Weapons’ Cast Expands

Cregger brings in a few more heavy-hitters for his horror epic ‘Weapons,’ adding Benedict Wong (‘3 Body Problem’), Amy Madigan (‘Field of Dreams’), Austin Abrams (‘Euphoria’), as well as child-actor Cary Christopher (‘Days of our Lives’) to the cast. This was reported by Deadline ahead of Warner Bros. Discovery Upfront in New York later in May. 

Wong was last seen in the Netflix television adaptation ‘3 Body Problem’ from David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo, which just recently was picked up for a second season conclusion.

Warner Bros. Sets Release Date

In announcing its 2025 and 2026 calendar and beyond during 2024 Warner Bros. Discovery Upfronts, the studio set January 16, 2026 for Zach Cregger’s ‘Weapons,’ hopefully giving the auteur plenty of time to deliver his horror epic. 

What’s noticeable about this release date is that it’s not, technically speaking, an awards worthy slot. Horror is rarely given that kind of prestige, but with an all-star cast and a rising star filmmaker at the helm, it’s curious that Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema wouldn’t consider an awards push. However, this current January slot is a great time for the genre as viewers are often craving non-family friendly fare post-Holiday season.