Cregger was a member of “The Whitest Kids U’Know” and also did some acting in shows like “Wrecked.” As a director, however, he was virtually unknown until last year. Then “Barbarian” came out of nowhere to become the unexpected hit of 2022, taking in $45 million worldwide at the box office against a mere $4.5 million budget. Not to mention the fact that the movie then found a huge audience on streaming, thanks to HBO Max and Hulu. That made Cregger’s follow-up a hot ticket item in a big way.
The filmmaker is said to have closed an eight-figure deal to write and direct “Weapons,” which is downright outlandish for a filmmaker who was hardly on Hollywood’s radar a year ago. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! The movie has a guaranteed greenlight, meaning the studio is on the hook to actually make it, and Cregger is receiving final cut, assuming test screenings meet a certain threshold. He also has a deal that is rich in backend, meaning if it performs well, he makes a lot more money, and it has a guaranteed theatrical release. Even very seasoned filmmakers would kill for a deal like this.
Further, the idea is to have Cregger potentially become a regular supplier of horror films for New Line at Warner Bros. Who knows? Given that they control DC, maybe the filmmaker will get a shot at that “Batman-adjacent” movie he’s already written. But first up, another original horror adventure.
“Weapons” does not yet have a release date set.