Weapons, the new horror film from Barbarian writer/director Zach Cregger, was very well received, with JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray giving it a 9/10 review you can read at THIS LINK, and it had a good run at the box office. The reception was so positive that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema quickly started planning to expand this into a franchise, talking to Cregger about making a prequel that would center on the Aunt Gladys character, played by Amy Madigan (Antlers). Madigan commented on the possibility during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, saying that “nothing’s real ’til it’s real.” Soon after, Cregger talked to Fangoria about the possibility – and he said, “It is real.” Still, Madigan is remaining cautious about the possibility, telling The Hollywood Reporter that we’ll just “have to wait and see” if it ends up going into production.
Aunt Gladys Returns?
Cregger assembled a strong cast for Weapons, including Madigan, Julia Garner (Ozark), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Alden Ehrenreich (Solo), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Austin Abrams (Euphoria), June Diane Raphael (Grace and Frankie), and Cary Christopher (Days of Our Lives). Most details about the film were successfully shrouded in mystery in the build-up to its release, but it was said that it’s “an interrelated, multistory horror epic” that’s tonally in the vein of Magnolia, and the story revolves around the disappearance of elementary school kids in a small town. Here’s the official synopsis: When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.
It has been said that Cregger had written more for Aunt Gladys in the Weapons script, including a whole chapter on her back story, but he pulled it to keep the movie from going too long. And during a conversation with Vanity Fair, he revealed that he told Madigan she could pick between two different options for the character’s back story. Option one: Gladys was just a normal person using dark magic to cure her disease. Option two: Gladys was a non-human creature who was using her bizarre makeup and wig in a poor attempt to mimic humans.
Maybe we’ll find out the truth in the prequel. If it happens.
Madigan Speaks
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Madigan said, “Zach has a map of what he would like to do. But as we know about this business — until it’s real, it’s not real. It would be such a blast, and it would be really great if we could revisit her in some way. I’m excited about that possibility…So much business is involved in that, which I’m not involved in, so we’ll all just have to wait and see.“
Are you staying cautious along with Madigan, who really likes to remind people that nothing is real until it’s real, or are you already looking forward to the Weapons prequel? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
