Latest news with #Cregger
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Horror Movie ‘Weapons' Earns Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
Topline 'Weapons,' a new horror movie opening in theaters next week, earned a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes from its first reviews, after the movie's eerie marketing campaign—including a video of more than two hours of surveillance footage—went viral online. "Weapons," from director Zach Cregger, opens in theaters next week. (Photo by Alberto E. ...for CinemaCon) Getty Images for CinemaCon Key Facts 'Weapons' has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on its first 11 reviews, meaning all critics so far have given the movie a positive review. 'Weapons,' which opens in theaters Aug. 8, is a horror film about an entire classroom full of children vanishing in the middle of the night, except for one, according to distributor Warner Bros. The movie was written and directed by Zach Cregger, who previously wrote and directed the horror movie 'Barbarian' (2022), which was also well-received and has a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes. 'Weapons' stars Josh Brolin as the father of one of the missing children and Julia Garner as the children's teacher. Deadline projected 'Weapons' could earn $25 million or more in its opening weekend, a solid start for an original horror movie. What Are Critics Saying About 'weapons?' Lyvie Scott, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic for Inverse, said 'Weapons' is 'haunting and cerebral as it is almost cartoonishly funny,' praising the movie's balance of 'gory shocks' and 'visceral physical comedy.' Chris Evangelista, a critic for the horror movie website SlashFilm, said the film 'taps into very modern fears without laying it on too thick,' stating the movie portrays paranoia and fear parents may feel after watching cable news. Evangelista called 'Weapons' 'one of the best horror movies of the year' and said Cregger is 'one of the most exciting voices in the genre right now.' In a five-star review for the horror publication Dread Central, critic Josh Korngut praised the cast performances and called the movie 'near-perfect,' calling it 'shocking, original, and grotesquely funny all at once.' Some critics, including Rotten Tomatoes-approved Matt Neglia, felt the movie lost steam at the end, stating Cregger 'missed an opportunity to tell a story that is more emotionally rich and relatable' and opted for a 'facile solution.' How Did The 'weapons' Marketing Go Viral? 'Weapons' garnered attention in the spring for a marketing campaign some movie publications compared to that of the 'Blair Witch Project' for its use of found footage and its realistic portrayal of the marketing materials. Warner Bros. published a video of surveillance footage on YouTube, titled '2025_░_░_06: which portrays children running through town in the middle of the night. The video is exactly two hours and 17 minutes long, similar to the time the children disappear in the movie: 2:17 a.m. The studio also published an online website, which is fashioned like a local news outlet and contains news articles about the children who disappear from town in the film. Surprising Fact The bidding war to secure the rights to 'Weapons' was reportedly intense, with multiple production companies making offers. New Line Cinema, a production company owned by Warner Bros., won the auction in January 2023 after making a $38 million offer, with Cregger earning $10 million and the ability to decide the final cut, a deal the Hollywood Reporter called 'unprecedented' for a filmmaker who had only directed one movie before. Other companies that made bids include Universal Pictures and Monkeypaw Productions, the production company owned by horror director-producer Jordan Peele. Deadline reported Peele parted ways with his management shortly after losing the auction. Further Reading Summer Box Office Opening Forecasts For 'Fantastic Four', 'Weapons', 'Freakier Friday' & More (Deadline) New Line Wins Intense Auction for 'Weapons,' the New Movie From 'Barbarian' Filmmaker Zach Cregger (Hollywood Reporter)
Mint
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
'Im obsessed with it': Director Zach Cregger on why he wants to direct Resident Evil reboot
Washington DC [US], July 23 (ANI): Director Zach Cregger opened up on his inspiration for helming a reboot version of 'Resident Evil' franchise, reported Deadline. The film adaptation of the Capcom videogame is set to star Austin Abrams, and in a new interview, Cregger revealed why he wanted to tell this story. Cregger is a huge fan of Resident Evil games and claims that he has played Resident Evil 4 a "hundred times" and is "obsessed" with it. "Because I love the games. I played all of the games. I played Resident Evil 4 a hundred times through. I'm obsessed with it. And so, I just want to tell a story that feels like it's honouring the experience you get when you play the games," said Cregger to Comicbook as quoted by Deadline. He continued, "I haven't seen the movies, that's just not my thing. But the games are my thing. That's just a playground I just love....I think the movie is going to rip. I think it's going to rip," as quoted by Deadline. Earlier this year, Cregger attended CinemaCon, where he also provided insight into the Resident Evil film he was working on. "There's a moment that comes in every moment of every Resident Evil game where you find yourself standing in the mouth of a dark passageway. One shot in the gun is left," he said. "You know that something horrible is waiting for you in that darkness, that awful moment where you have to will yourself. That's something that every Resident Evil game has perfected and has kept me and millions of other players returning to the series for decades," added director Cregger as quoted by Deadline. According to Deadline, Cregger added that his film, the reboot of the Resident Evil franchise, will follow one central protagonist from "point A to point B" as they continue their journey. 'Resident Evil' is expected to be released on September 18, 2026, reported Deadline. (ANI)
Perth Now
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Resident Evil reboot won't be ‘completely obedient to the lore of the games', director says
Zach Cregger has said his Resident Evil movie reboot won't be 'completely obedient to the lore of the games'. The 44-year-old filmmaker is set to helm the next movie adaptation of Capcom's iconic horror video game franchise of the same name, and while Cregger has insisted his Resident Evil reboot won't break 'any major rules', he also won't be beholden to what has been established in the gaming series. Speaking with SFX Magazine, Cregger said: 'I am a gigantic Resident Evil game fan. I've played them all. I don't know how many times I've just looped [Resident Evil 4] again and again. I just love it. 'I'm definitely not trying to be completely obedient to the lore of the games.' The Barbarian director added he wanted to make a movie that 'feels authentic to the experience' of playing the Resident Evil games. He continued: 'I'm trying to tell a story that just feels authentic to the experience you get when you play the games. I don't think I'm breaking any major rules, but I also recognize that no matter what I do, people are going to come for me online. 'So all I want to do is just make a really good movie and tell a story that's compelling. I know that I'm gonna be happy with the movie, and hopefully other people will, too.' The Resident Evil reboot hasn't started principal photography yet, and little is known about the movie's plot. However, it has been reported that the new Resident Evil film - which Cregger co-wrote with Shay Hatten - will follow a struggling courier assigned to deliver a package to a remote hospital. Along the way, he becomes trapped in the midst of a viral outbreak and must battle his way through swarms of mutated creatures to survive. Austin Abrams - who collaborated with Cregger on the director's upcoming horror flick Weapons - is reportedly attached to the Resident Evil reboot, though the 28-year-old actor's involvement in the project is yet to be officially confirmed. Resident Evil has featured on the big screen since 2002 with the eponymous horror flick, which starred Milla Jovovich as the action heroine Alice. The film received five sequels, with the fifth and last entry in the series, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, releasing in 2016. In 2021, Resident Evil was rebooted with Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City - which starred Avan Jogia as Leon S. Kennedy and Kaya Scodelario as Claire Redfield. After it was announced Cregger would be helming the next Resident Evil movie for Sony Pictures, it was confirmed the film would return to the 'original roots' of the gaming franchise and hit screens on September 18, 2026. Cregger told Deadline: 'I've been a rabid fan of these games for decades, and to be able to bring this amazing title to life is a true honour.'
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Weapons' New Trailer: Josh Brolin Demands to Know Where His Missing Child Went in Zach Cregger's Horror Movie
Zach Cregger's 'Weapons' quickly became one of the year's buzziest horror movies when the first trailer dropped in April. Now, the latest trailer for the new film from the 'Barbarian' director shows the drama (and haunting imagery) getting even darker as children's disappearances plague a small town. More from IndieWire Netflix Canceled the Release of a Gore Vidal Biopic Eight Years Ago - for the Filmmakers, the Story Isn't Over The Academy Reveals Board of Governors for 2025-2026 The logline reads: ''Weapons' is a horror film that follows an entire classroom of children who get out of their beds and disappear one night without a trace. 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.' Julia Garner stars as the teacher whose entire class, except for one student, goes missing in the dead of night. Josh Brolin plays one of the many parents disturbed by the disappearances, now determined to find his child at any cost. Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan also star. Cregger directs from his own screenplay, and also produces alongside Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz, and Raphael Margules, with Michelle Morrissey and actor Brolin executive producing. New Line Cinema chief Richard Brenner previously described the film as being 'batshit insane.' Cregger agreed, telling Entertainment Weekly that 'Weapons' is 'weirder, twistier, and bigger' than his directorial debut, 'Barbarian.' ('Weapons' is said to exist within the same universe as 'Barbarian,' which became an indie hit in theaters in September 2022.) Cregger told Entertainment Weekly that 'Weapons' is 'an incredibly personal story' as well, saying, 'There's certain chapters of this that are legitimately autobiographical that I feel like I lived.' The 'Weapons' creative team behind the camera includes director of photography Larkin Seiple, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Joe Murphy, and costume designer Trish Summerville. Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay, and Cregger compose the original score. The film is a New Line Cinema, Subconscious, Vertigo Entertainment, and BoulderLight Pictures production, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing. 'Weapons' will also get an IMAX nationwide release. Cregger will next reimagine 'Resident Evil' with his first IP film project. Warner Bros. Pictures will release 'Weapons' in theaters August 8. Check out the latest trailer below. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Weapons' Trailer: Josh Brolin Searches for Missing Students in ‘Barbarian' Director's Creepy New Horror
The first trailer for 'Weapons,' the new horror film from 'Barbarian' director Zach Cregger starring Josh Brolin, has been unveiled. Brolin stars alongside Julia Garner and Alden Ehrenreich in Cregger's sophomore feature. The cast also includes Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, Amy Madigan, Cary Christopher and June Diane Raphael. It follows the disappearance of a group of school children in the middle of the night in a small Florida community. More from Variety Tom Cruise Told Glen Powell to 'Film Yourself' Sprinting for 'The Running Man': 'You Don't Look as Cool as You Think You Do' 'Weapons' Trailer Creeps Out CinemaCon as 'Barbarian' Director Zach Cregger Reveals Skin-Crawling Missing Kids Plot Josh Brolin Says Oscars Rejecting Denis Villeneuve Again for Best Director 'Makes No Sense': 'Dune 2' Is 'Even Better Than the First' and 'You Deserve It' Roy Lee and Miri Yun produce the film via Vertigo, alongside Raphael Margules and J.D. Lifshitz via BoulderLight Pictures. New Line handles the film's theatrical release. Cregger's Airbnb horror film 'Barbarian' was a surprise success in 2022, earning the top spot at the box office in its opening weekend. The filmmaker originally started his career in the comedy group Whitest Kids U'Know and told Variety that the switch between genres wasn't quite as drastic as it may seem. 'I don't think horror and comedy are too dissimilar,' Cregger said in 2022. 'The anatomy of a scare is very similar to the anatomy of a laugh. It's all about timing and tone and zigging when the audience expects you to zag. I feel like my time in sketch comedy has equipped me to play in this pool.' Cregger's friend and 'Get Out' director Jordan Peele gave him some guidance. 'He gave me a crash course on how to handle the inevitable challenges, and that was so valuable.' 'Weapons' hits theaters Aug. 8. Watch the trailer below. Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in May 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in May 2025
