Inside WEAPONS: Zach Cregger on Crafting Iconic Characters and the Inspiration that Shaped the Film

Still courtesy of Warner Bros.

By Shannon McGrew

In Zach Cregger’s sophomore film WEAPONS, 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.

To celebrate the home entertainment release of WEAPONS, Creepy Kingdom’s Shannon McGrew spoke with writer/director Zach Cregger. During their chat, they discussed everything from bringing flawed characters to life, the influences that shaped the story, and more. 

In WEAPONS, the audience is dropped right into the middle of the unfolding events. Did you ever consider exploring the characters’ pasts, or was it important to you to leave that ambiguity?

Zach Cregger: The thing with Barbarian and WEAPONS is I like starting at the latest possible moment, and I like ending at the soonest possible moment. If I could skip act one altogether and just start my movie at the beginning of act two, I’m going to try everything I can to do that. It doesn’t mean I don’t love movies with long first acts, I do, but for me, personally, I want to design a story where once it starts, you can’t leave to go to the bathroom [because you’re locked in to what’s unfolding].

I love flawed characters, the kind that make you question their motives but still tug at your heartstrings. In a way, I saw WEAPONS as a study of the human condition and what happens when we catch people at their worst. Was that something you set out to explore?

Zach Cregger: That’s not something I was [actively] trying to show, but everyone is flawed. If you write a character without flaws, you’re not really writing a real person. Our flaws are what make us interesting and what make us worth watching, you know what I mean? I always want to give as much real estate to their imperfections as possible, because, you said it perfectly, that is what draws us in and makes us care about them. They can’t have it only be flaws, or then you’re just telling a story about a sociopath [Laughs]. 

Still courtesy of Warner Bros.

One of my favorite Wes Craven films is The Serpent and the Rainbow. In some ways, WEAPONS reminded me of it, especially in how voodoo was used to transform people into something almost zombie-like. Was that film an inspiration for you at all? 

Zach Cregger: The book [that the movie is based on] was one of the books I read to have a little bit of insight. Good call. I had begun writing WEAPONS when I read “The Serpent and the Rainbow.” I didn’t want to have any crossover, but I wanted the same vocabulary. There’s this song by the band The Mekons called 'Dancing in the Head,' and it’s about someone explaining how to make a zombie. I’ve always loved that song, and so that song and that book were my two little reference points. 

Casting Gladys couldn’t have been easy. How did Amy Madigan come into the picture for the role? 

Zach Creggers: I’ve seen enough of Amy’s work that I could smell she could do this. She is spunky and can be really lethal and reptilian. I invited her to lunch, which was the right move. While we were waiting for the lunch to arrive at the table, I said, 'You have to play this part.' I could look at her and feel it, you know? It doesn’t always happen like that, but with her, it was clear. 

Outside of Gladys, the characters of James (Austin Abrams) and Paul (Alden Ehrenreich) were two of my favorites. Austin and Alden’s performances hit every mark, and I loved their dynamic together. Can you share a bit about bringing them on board for these roles?

Zach Creggers: I agree. They complement each other so well. When I had hired Austin first and was sure I was going to hire Alden, it felt strange to hire without them being together in a room. I invited Alden to dinner, having met him only once before, and I said, 'Hey, would you like to get dinner with me?' We went, and Austin was there, whom he didn’t know why or what for. I sat at a booth and put them next to each other, and we hung out and had dinner. I didn’t tell Alden what we were up to or why we’re having food, and he didn’t know why he was with Austin. We ate, and I looked at them together and was like, yeah, I think this is good. When we were outside waiting for our cars, I asked Alden if he wanted to do this movie, and he was like, Yeah! And I was like, all right, cool! I just wanted to make sure you guys were okay together [Laughs].  

Donna (June Diane Raphael) is such an underappreciated character. Why do we only get a small glimpse of her? 

Zach Cregger: Donna doesn’t intersect with Gladys. I love Donna, and Donna is a great character, and I would be thrilled to have a movie all about Donna, but the movie is about Gladys and the children, and she’s on the periphery of that. She’s great, though, isn’t she? 

You’re now 2-for-2 when it comes to creating iconic characters, first with Mother in Barbarian, and now Aunt Gladys. What’s it like seeing these characters embraced and celebrated by audiences?

Zach Cregger: I don’t see enough drag performers dressing up as the mother from Barbarian, so I’d say I’m one for two. That’s really the metric of success [Laughs]. 

WEAPONS is now available on digital and will be available on 4K UHD on October 14, 2025.