Julia Garner already has two upcoming horror roles, so how about one more for good measure? THR reports that Garner is the latest actor to join Zach Cregger‘s “Barbarian” follow-up “Weapons” at New Line. Garner will star opposite the previously announced Josh Brolin, with shooting starting in Atlanta next month.
Cregger’s sophomore feature remains shrouded in secrecy despite Brolin joining the cast in February. Insiders who’ve read the the script for “Weapons” call it a sprawling, multistory epic of a horror film: like P.T. Anderson‘s “Magnolia” but much, much scarier. But given that “Magnolia” also features a massive ensemble cast, expect more casting news as Cregger’s next movie gets closer to production.
Here’s what else we know about “Weapons” right now. The upcoming film reunites Creggor with his “Barbarian” production team: Roy Lee at Vertigo, and J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules at BoulderLight Pictures. Miri Yoon also produces through Vertigo. Intriguingly, Pedro Pascal was initially cast in Brolin’s role, but had to exit the film after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA guild strikes postponed shooting. Of note: after Pascal signed on to Marvel’s “Fantastic Four,” his schedule became too busy for “Weapons,” but Garner is in the upcoming MCU film, too (as Silver Surfer to Pascal’s Mister Fantastic).
But “Weapons” and “Fantastic Four” are just two of the buzzy projects Garner has in the pipeline. There’s the two previously mentioned horrors films, as well. Firsst, Paramount‘s “Rosemary’s Baby” prequel “Apartment 7A,” in post-production now. And then there’s Leigh Whannell‘s “Wolf Man“ remake for Blumhouse/Universal, which hits theaters early next year. That’s not a bad line-up for Garner, especially after her starring role in that Madonna biopic fell through.
Expect Cregger’s “Weapons” in theaters sometime in 2025. And by that point, given Garner’s upcoming corpus, the actress may be battling Jenna Ortega for the title of this generation’s Scream Queen.
