After wowing audiences with the cult horror smash Barbarian, filmmaker Zach Cregger is quickly becoming one of the hottest tickets in Hollywood. Executives in Tinseltown have been foaming at the mouth for a chance to lay claim to Cregger’s next project, with offers hitting as high as eight figures before the concept hit the open market. Word around the watercooler suggests executives were knocking down Cregger’s door for a taste of his next project, but he was unwilling to give up the goods. Until now. On January 22, Zach Cregger unveiled Weapons, a mysterious new project he knew would fight tooth and nail to acquire. After the bidding fired off, New Line became the victor of the spoils.
Sources indicate Cregger will collect eight figures to write and direct Weapons, an amount often unheard of for a filmmaker with essentially one hit under his belt. In addition to giving Cregger a guaranteed green light, he’s overseeing the film’s final cut, provided test screenings meet expectations. The deal also comes with a theatrical release, forgoing plans to port the project to a streaming service.
“Zach proved with Barbarian that he can create a visceral theatrical experience for audiences and that he commands every tool in the filmmaker toolbelt,” said New Line’s president and CCO, Richard Brener. “We couldn’t be happier that he, Roy [Lee] and Miri [Yoon], and J.D. [Lifshitz]and Rafi [Margules] chose New Line to be the home of his next film, and hope it is the first of many to come.”
As long as Weapons is another hit, New Line is banking on Cregger becoming a golden goose of the horror genre. In other words, if Weapons fires on all cylinders, Cregger could become another prominent name in horror akin to James Wan, Jason Blum, Mike Flanagan, or Jordan Peele. Does that plan sound ambitious? You bet your ass it does. Still, if Cregger plays his cards right and churns out another hit, he could sit pretty among contemporary horror royalty.
Plot details for Weapons remain a mystery. However, sources close to the project say it’s tonally in the vein of Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia, but, you know, there is no pressure or anything, Zach.
What do you think about studios tripping over themselves to load up on Weapons? Do you believe Cregger is in for another hit, or will he be smacked with a sophomore slump? Feel free to let us know in the comments.