Zach Cregger Confirms 2025 Horror Hit with 94% Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Getting a Prequel
Zach Cregger’s 2025 horror hit Weapons is already getting a prequel, the director confirmed in a recent interview with Fangoria. The film, which currently holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes, was a major success both critically and at the box office.
Weapons follows a mysterious case in which seventeen children from the same classroom disappear on the same night at the same time.
The film features an ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan. Cregger directed, wrote, produced, and even co-scored the movie.
After his 2022 hit Barbarian, Cregger began working on the script for Weapons. When the script hit the market in January 2023, it sparked a bidding war, with New Line Cinema ultimately securing the rights. Casting was complicated due to production delays from the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, but by May 2024, the full cast was confirmed.
Filming took place in Atlanta from May to July of that year, and Cregger sold the script for $38 million. Warner Bros. Pictures released the film in the U.S. on August 8, 2025, and it went on to gross $264 million worldwide.
Cregger spoke to Fangoria about expanding the Weapons universe. “It is real and I’ve been talking to Warner Bros. about it. There’s a story and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s not bull****” he said of the prequel, which will focus on the character Aunt Gladys.
He added that the idea wasn’t a reaction to the movie’s success. “I was ready. I had it kind of in my pocket before the movie came out,” he explained.
The director previously hinted at a possible sequel down the line, though he said it wouldn’t be his immediate next project. “I have another idea for something in this world that I’m kind of excited about. I’m not going to do it next, and I probably won’t do it after my next movie, but I do have one and I’d like to see it on the screen one day,” Cregger said.
With the success of Weapons and Cregger’s enthusiasm for expanding the story, fans of the film can expect more chilling tales from this universe in the coming years.
Horror franchises often thrive on exploring backstories and prequels, and focusing on Aunt Gladys seems like a smart move for Cregger and Warner Bros. It will be interesting to see if the prequel captures the same mystery and tension that made Weapons a hit. What do you think, are you excited for the prequel? Share your thoughts in the comments.
