With Amy Madigan winning an Academy Award for her unforgettable performance as the creepy Aunt Gladys in Weapons, there was no way she’d be gone forever. Director Zach Cregger began talking up a potential spinoff last year, and now that film is officially moving forward.
Deadline was first to report on Gladys, the current working title, hiring Zach Shields to co-write the screenplay with Cregger. Given the hilarious, ironic fate that befell Gladys at the end of Weapons, it makes sense that this new film is a prequel.
When Cregger first brought up the idea, he already had an idea in mind on how to revisit the Gladys character…
“It is real, and I’ve been talking to Warner Bros. about it. There’s a story, and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s not bullshit,” Cregger said. “I was ready. I had it kind of in my pocket before the movie came out.”
In short, Cregger knows what he’s doing.
Shields’ most notable work has been in the Monsterverse, writing Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and co-writing Godzilla vs. Kong, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
It’s easy to see why Warner Bros. and New Line are eager to stay in the Weapons business. The film was a massive hit worldwide, earning $270M on a modest budget. Don’t be surprised if they are already whispering in Cregger’s ear about more ways to expand this franchise.
