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26 August, 2025
Weapons: The Horror Everyone is Talking About
The story starts when all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night … so what is it about Weapons that made it such a cinematic success?
Weapons has become a global sensation, with cinemagoers across the world going out to discover what the mystery is all about.
Learn how Weapons came to be from idea, to production, to cinematic success…
A Surprise for Everyone
Like the film’s unsuspecting audience, filmmaker Zach Cregger has revealed that he himself did not know the full plot of the film upon writing, saying “When I’m writing, I have a rule for myself - I don’t want to know what’s going to happen at all. I always just start."Cregger explains how he started with the concept of children going missing in a town with no answer as to why, which ultimately gave the film its key point of intrigue that made audiences want to find out what happened.
A Cinematic Event
What Weapons is commonly praised for is its balance of horror and comedy, producing a rewarding and at times unsettling (in a good way) tonal blend. This is something Cregger enthusiastically promotes to being enjoyed in the cinema, likening the experience to being “on this roller coaster together, it’s a thrill and an adrenaline and laughter release. That is more enjoyable when you do it en masse. I will always go see them in theatres; it’s just more fun.”
It Takes a Town
Cregger sought to create the “most normal place in the world” for Weapons, targeting both production design and costuming departments to fulfill this request. The idea to make Maybrook like “a small New Eastern town” led production to Atlanta, Georgia. The local families of the town that provided many of the film’s locations would camp out in lawn chairs to watch filming, with Cregger and cast members often greeting the neighbouring families, taking photos and signing autographs.
In compliance with Cregger’s location normalcy policy, costume designer Trish Summerville too ordered a “just normal” approach to costuming, instructing her team she didn’t “want any fashion right now…I didn’t want there to be anything that could be pegged to a particular date or time. It is just people existing.”
On the busiest days of filming, over 170 children were on set for shoots of school scenes.
Due to a lack of air conditioning systems for the soundstages, production constructed dozens of yards of tubing to introduce AC onto various sets, attempting to battle the temperatures (reaching over 100 degrees) the cast and crew faced whilst filming.
Animal lovers will be pleased to know that the production saved and re-homed at least two dogs and one cat over the course of production.
Zach Cregger’s Unique Vision
As director, producer, writer and composer, Cregger’s stamp is undoubtedly all over Weapons, and fortunately the cast have praised their experience of working with the filmmaker.
Julia Garner who stars as school teacher Justine, says that Cregger is “just the kindest guy. My first impression was that he was very clear on his vision, and he had a very clear direction, and that’s incredibly important to me.”
For Josh Brolin who plays Archer, the father of nose of the missing school children, it was Cregger’s writing that made him want to be part of the production. “I read the script for Weapons and I thought the design of the script was really compelling, really interesting. And I kept going back to it”.
Benedict Wong, starring as school principal Marcus, was drawn to Cregger’s storytelling. “What I’ve discovered about Zach’s storytelling is that it’s relentless - you’re never quite sure where he’s going to take you next. One twist leads straight into another, like turning a corner only to find another corner waiting. And I love that about his style—it keeps you off balance in the best way.”
Standout Cast
Equally, Cregger has some high praise for his cast too, explaining he was “over the moon” with Austin Abrams’ performance as James. Adding, "I feel like (he) is just this young actor who has not had his moment yet. But I really want to be part of it when that moment happens, because he’s like Willem Dafoe, John Cazale, Gary Oldman, ready to explode". Austin Abrams too was the only cast member from the start who made it to the final product.
Cregger insisted the film be structured into character-led chapters, with each chapter told in a hyper-subjective way so that the audience is squarely told in the character’s experience. With Cary Christopher (Alex), to show his point of view the chapter was shot from his third-grader height. Cregger explains that “everyone gets to be the star of Weapons for their little 12-minute chunk.”
In casting Justine, initially Cregger felt that Julia Garner was too young for the part, but he looked past this belief when she auditioned, saying “I’m so glad I did, because I cannot imagine anybody else in the part now.”
Critic Reactions
Critics and audiences have spoken; Weapons is a highly praised ‘Certified Fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes. Compliments have come far and wide across the entertainment industry too, with filmmaker Edgar Wright saying “…run to (see) ‘Weapons’ on the big screen as soon as you can”. Legendary horror author Stephen King also loved it, adding he thought Weapons was “confidently told, and very scary" .
The success of Weapons has been extra special for Warner Bros., as this is the first time a studio has had six consecutive films to open to $40M+ at the box office.
Weapons is in cinemas now, get your tickets here.
If you enjoyed Weapons, you’ll love The Conjuring: Last Rites, in cinemas September 5th.
For more scary films, check out our Horror page.