While Weapons is set to drop on HBO Max on Friday (October 24), director Zach Cregger is looking to the future, and he has one hope for the Aunt Gladys prequel movie now that it’s in development.
Weapons has proven itself to be one of the best horror movies of the year (and all time), with a creepy, unsettling mystery at its core that blends dark comedy with supernatural horror. As we said in our five-star review, it “gets under your skin, before concluding two hours of tense set-up with a truly wild pay-off.”
Clearly, the world agrees. Alongside respective 93% and 88% Rotten Tomatoes scores from critics and audiences, Weapons earned more than $267 million at the global box office against a budget of $38 million.
Meanwhile, the movie’s villain, Aunt Gladys, has become a pop culture icon, so it’s no surprise Cregger wants to give the fans more with a prequel on her backstory.
Weapons director makes promise about Aunty Gladys prequel
In a new interview with The Wrap, Cregger said that it crossed his mind that the Gladys prequel movie, which is now in development, might diminish the mystery surrounding Weapons.
However, he added that he wants the film to stand on its own two feet rather than piggy-backing off the success of the first entry.
“It’s crossed my mind. But I think that the Gladys story is such an interesting story that I think it’s going to feel very separate and stand on its own two feet, and I don’t think it’s going to diminish Weapons,” he told the outlet.
Weapons tells each character’s story individually, with each chapter helping to further explore the mystery. Cregger went on to say that he originally had a chapter on Gladys, but ultimately decided against it as it would have made the film too long.
While the standalone prequel will build on this, as said, the filmmaker wants it to be its own entity too. Although this is his main hope for the Gladys movie, Cregger does have another Weapons-related desire.
“The thrill of my life to see Amy and what’s been going on with all of this has been so great,” he said. “I can only hope that there’s a lot of Halloween Gladyses out there.”
Since the Aunt Gladys prequel is still in very early development, there is no indication of when we can expect to see it. Weapons was first announced in January 2023 and released in August 2025, but the Hollywood strikes doubtless had an impact on production.
Given the success of the first film, Warner Bros. would likely want to fast track the project. But for now, just know that it’s definitely happening.
Cregger announced it to Fangoria amid the film’s digital release last month. “It is real and I’ve been talking to Warner Bros. about it,” he said. “There’s a story and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s not bullsh*t.”
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