Zach Cregger, in a relatively short period of time, has asserted himself as one of the most important voices in modern horror. His 2022 solo feature directorial debut "Barbarian" became an unexpected hit, which put him on the map. Now, his follow-up, the critically acclaimed "Weapons," has become a chart-topping, breakout success for Warner Bros. There are many reasons for the movie's popularity, not least of which is the A-list cast Cregger managed to assemble. As it turns out, he actually had to start
over from scratch with an entirely different ensemble before filming got underway.
"Weapons" takes place in a small town where all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanishes on the same night at exactly the same time. The community must question who — or what — is behind their disappearance. Originally, Pedro Pascal ("The Mandalorian") was cast in the lead role, but he had to drop out due to scheduling issues that came about due to the Screen Actors Guild strike in 2023. Unfortunately, Pascal's departure was just the beginning, throwing everything out of whack.
Cregger confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that Pascal was just one part of a completely different cast that had to change completely as things evolved. The previous ensemble included the likes of Brian Tyree Henry ("Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire") and Renate Reinsve ("The Worst Person in the World"), with Tom Burke ("Black Bag") also included in earlier casting reports.
The only one to make it through both rounds of casting? Austin Abrams ("Euphoria"). "He hung tough with me. That's my dude right there," Cregger said. Abrams, for his part, was eager to hang onto his role. Here's what he had to say about it:
"I was able to get in contact with Zach, and then it turned out he was making something. He thought I was a good fit for it, potentially. [...] I loved the part, and I didn't wanna let it go. So, I just really held on 'cause I really wanted to do it."
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Zach Cregger Put Together Two Different A-List Casts For Weapons
Cregger ended up turning to Josh Brolin ("No Country for Old Men," "Deadpool 2") to fill in the shoes that Pascal left behind. Brolin plays Archer, a man stricken with grief after his son disappears. He stars opposite Julia Garner ("Ozark," "The Fantastic Four: First Steps") as Justine, the teacher whose students all vanished. Though Cregger didn't say it directly, it's presumed that Reinsve would have played Garner's part.
It's similarly unclear who Henry would have played, although the school principal Marcus, as was ultimately portrayed by Benedict Wong ("Doctor Strange"), seems like a reasonable bet. Alternatively, it's easy to imagine Henry playing Paul, the cop who ended up being portrayed by Alden Ehrenreich ("Solo: A Star Wars Story"). Either way, as remarkably different as these casts are on paper, they're both notably A-list ensembles. That speaks volumes about the credibility Cregger built up in the aftermath of "Barbarian," on top of serving as a glowing endorsement of the "Weapons" script (which spawned a huge Hollywood bidding war before landing at Warner Bros.).
In the end, everything worked out quite well. "Weapons" has been a huge hit at the box office out of the gate, in addition to being one of the best-reviewed horror movies of 2025 thus far. Meanwhile, Cregger has now cemented his place in Hollywood and already has his "Resident Evil" reboot on deck. Suffice it to say, he should have no issue securing a great cast for that one. Interestingly, he's already set to reunite with Abrams for that film, no doubt in part because the latter hung around through the whole wild ride on "Weapons."
"Weapons" is in theaters now.
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