There was never much chance Aunt Gladys was going to stay buried—especially after the Academy Awards. With Amy Madigan’s turn in “Weapons” now Oscar-anointed, Warner Bros. and New Line are moving ahead with a prequel centered on the character, with Zach Cregger and Zach Shields writing the screenplay.
That is not exactly a shocking development. Madigan’s unnerving turn as Aunt Gladys became one of the film’s most talked-about elements, and that momentum only grew when she won Best Supporting Actress for the role at the 98th Oscars on March 15.
Cregger had already made it clear last September that he was not done with the character. In an interview around the home release of “Weapons,” he said he had the story in his head, that the story had already been beaten out, and that he was working with “another really talented writer, a good buddy of mine” — later identified as Shields. He also pushed back on the idea that the prequel was simply built from a Gladys-focused chapter cut from the original film.
That helps “Gladys” feel like something a little sturdier than the usual post-hit scramble or some obvious leftovers operation. Cregger seems to have known there was more blood in this vein, and Shields is not an arbitrary addition either. He’s best known for co-writing “Krampus,” “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” and “Godzilla vs. Kong” and, in a different creative lane, for his music project Dead Man’s Bones with Ryan Gosling.
And the business logic is obvious enough. “Weapons” became a major horror hit, grossing $151.6 million domestically and $270 million worldwide against a reported $38 million budget. For an original studio horror movie, that’s the kind of return that almost demands a follow-up.
So yes, the “Weapons” universe is expanding, and it is expanding in the direction audiences were always going to want: backward, toward the figure who left the deepest scar. For now, the confirmed move is the script, with Cregger and Shields handling writing duties. Beyond that, the larger shape of “Gladys” remains under wraps. In the meantime, Cregger’s next film, “Resident Evil,” is set to open on September 18, 2026.
Rodrigo Perez is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Playlist, which he launched in 2008. He has worked in entertainment journalism since 2000, including at MTV, and has written for SPIN, IndieWire, Pitchfork, Complex, Magnet, and various music, film, and entertainment publications over the past two decades.
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