Weapons is the latest hit horror movie to hit theaters this year, following some really stellar entries to the genre like Sinners and Talk to Me. The second film from writer/director Zach Cregger, it has elicited a huge response online, with theories, takes, and more dominating online discourse about a movie rich with lore, subtext, and subtle storytelling.
Unsurprisingly, it left some things up to the imagination. Not everything is explained in the movie, and there are some lingering questions when the credits roll. Not even one full week after the release of the movie, though, a prequel answering at least some of those questions is on the way. Spoilers for Weapons are inevitable.
Weapons Prequel Already Discussed
Who is Aunt Gladys? Is she really Alex Lilly’s aunt? Is she a witch? Does she have powers of her own? How long has she been doing this? What else can she do? How old is she exactly? What about that weird, magic tree? If you had any of those questions or others when Weapons concluded, you’re not alone, and you might be in luck.
The Hollywood Reporter just confirmed that a prequel surrounding the surprisingly popular villain of his second feature film is being talked about. According to the report, several sources stated that Warner Bros. and New Line are already talking with the director about making a prequel origin story for Gladys.
During the two-hour runtime, Gladys is ever-present, but she never gets all the attention. There are six different POVs, each one focusing on one intertwined character that reveals a little more of the story. Cregger reportedly had a Gladys POV idea, but it never made it into the final product. Now, a full-length film is probably on the way.
The sources did not say anything was happening yet. No deal has been made, and Cregger probably doesn’t even have a script. Nothing is set in stone, but there’s real push from the studios for this to happen as Weapons continues to take Hollywood by storm.
That is partially because everything is so sudden, but it’s also because Cregger’s hard at work on his next movie, Resident Evil. In fact, he’s been in Prague shooting the movie this whole time, so he’s been absent from the Weapons premiers and other things.
Cregger does have other projects he may want to explore. He reportedly wrote a script for a DC movie, but he has yet to pitch it to James Gunn and Peter Safran. He wrote the script for a sci-fi movie called Flood, but that is also just a script at this time. This prequel is not even written yet.
It’s not a surprise to see this push. During the opening weekend, Weapons earned an impressive $43 million domestically, which is $10 million more than the studios expected. Horror hasn’t been doing all that well at the box office, so this was a big win. On Monday, the movie took in another $5.2 million at the domestic box office, the best August Monday for a horror movie not accounting for inflation.
Cregger was coy about his future in a recent interview. He 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.” For now, everything is up in the air, but an Aunt Gladys movie might be on the table.
Conclusion
If the two movies Zach Cregger has made aren’t enough of an indication, let this be the notice to Hollywood. Cregger is a player to watch on both the writing and directing side. He has two good movies under his belt, and there is clear demand for so much more. The future is incredibly bright for the new-age horror icon.
