Following the critical and commercial success of Weapons, director Zach Cregger has revealed that a prequel film centered on Aunt Gladys is already in the works. Speaking with Fangoria, Cregger confirmed long-standing speculation that Warner Bros. is actively exploring ways to expand the eerie universe of his 2025 mystery horror hit.
“It’s 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 bullshit,” Cregger stated, making clear that the idea was not simply a reaction to the film’s box office success. According to him, the concept had been in his mind before Weapons even reached theaters. “I was ready,” he explained. “I had it kind of in my pocket before the movie came out.”
Aunt Gladys, portrayed memorably by Amy Madigan, quickly became a standout element of Weapons. While details of the story remain under wraps to avoid spoilers, Cregger acknowledged that the character’s striking appearance drew from unusual inspirations. “Cindy Sherman, the photographer, she does these amazing self-portraits. Sometimes she’ll use light prosthetics to give herself this gross, uncanny valley look. I just love her stuff,” he shared. He also cited a surreal moment from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks as an influence, recalling a woman on an airport tarmac performing a bizarre “peacock dance” that unsettled him as a child. “I knew one day I was going to explore something like that, and this was my chance,” he concluded.
The filmmaker is not slowing down in the meantime. His next project will see him step into franchise territory with Sony’s reboot of Resident Evil. Cregger confirmed that his take will not be a direct adaptation of Capcom’s popular games but will instead tell an original story that exists alongside the game universe. Production is already underway in Prague as he preps for this high-profile reimagining.
Weapons was released in August 2025 by Warner Bros. Pictures, earning critical acclaim and grossing $264 million worldwide. The film starred Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan, among others. Its chilling narrative followed the mysterious disappearance of seventeen schoolchildren who all vanished on the same night.
With both a blockbuster horror hit under his belt and a major franchise reboot ahead, Cregger’s confirmation of an Aunt Gladys prequel signals that Weapons may be only the beginning of a much larger cinematic world.
