From comedian to millionaire, director Zach Cregger has enjoyed a meteoric rise in Hollywood, having previously directed a relatively obscure teen sex outfit (Miss March) and being part of the comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U’ Know. But with his equally successful and critically acclaimed horror highlight “Barbarian” (92 percent positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, 4 stars from FILMSTARTS), he’s now become one of the most sought-after filmmakers in Hollywood almost overnight. This is also proven by his latest project: “Weapons”.
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Although nothing was known about “Weapons” yet, the project caused quite a stir in the dream factory. For weeks, Cregger and his team were besieged by producers, actresses and other filmmakers, but it wasn’t until this past Monday, January 23, 2023, that the project was unveiled and the offers accepted.
Horror Studio outperforms Netflix
Like the American industry magazine a short but intense bidding war reportedly broke out, which emerged as the winner for a studio with a lot of horror experience: New Line Cinema and Warner will produce and bring “Weapons” to theaters. New Line is a name that has been associated with horror for many years, be it in film franchises like ‘Dance the Devil’, ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ or ‘Final Destination’, the ‘Conjuring’ universe or the two super successful ‘ It” movies.
While Netflix was also involved in the bidding war, the streaming service and its very deep pockets got nothing this time. The decisive factor for the filmmaker and his team was apparently that New Line guaranteed a theatrical release of the film and also granted Cregger other liberties that cannot be taken for granted:
This is how the project should be loud for example, guaranteed shots (so Warner can’t pull the plug at the last minute) and the director gets the final cut if the film performs well enough in test screenings.
And of course the great interest in “Weapons” also pays off for Cregger himself: According to he is paid an eight-figure sum to write and direct the film, so at least ten million dollars. In addition, there is a participation in the profit from theater exploitation. By comparison, “Barbarian” only cost $4.5 million in total (including fees, filming, post-production, etc.), but grossed ten times that in movie theaters worldwide.
This is known about “Weapons”.
Incidentally, not too much is known about “Weapons” and it should probably stay that way. After all, “Barbarian” also lived through its fair share of numerous surprises and twists. the describes “Weapons” as a horror epic made up of several interconnected storieswhich is tonally reminiscent of Paul Thomas Anderson’s ensemble masterpiece “Magnolia”.
Since the script has already been completed and the film must now be shot quickly, ‘Weapons’ could even hit theaters in 2023, but at the latest early 2024.