Zach Cregger’s latest horror flickWeaponsjust added a more firepower to its cast with an Emmy-winning star. Afterswapping outPedro PascalforJosh Brolinamid scheduling conflicts aroundFantastic Four, Collider can confirm thatJulia Garneris slated to join the much-anticipated and heavily guarded film by the breakoutBarbariandirector. We can also reveal that filming is slated to take place starting in May in Atlanta and run throughout June and July.
Initially slated to start production late in 2023,Weaponswas one of several projects pushed back by theWGA and SAG-AFTRA strikeslast year. The announcement of filming beginning soon, along with its new star, means that things are heating up quickly for the film and more announcements could be coming soon. Although the plot has been kept tightly under wraps, the film has been frequently compared to the 1999Paul Thomas AndersonfilmMagnoliawhich featured a hefty ensemble cast playing interrelated characters following their own interconnecting stories in the San Fernando Valley. The multistory epic has also been said to follow the disappearance of high schoolers in a small town, perThe Hollywood Reporter.
In addition to Cregger, who is writing the script in addition to directing, the featureboasts much of the same teaminvolved in the creation ofBarbarian, including Vertigo’sRoy Leeand BoulderLight Pictures’J.D. LifshitzandRaphael Margules.Miri Yoonalso joined the team through the Vertigo banner this time around.Weaponswill be a notable turn for Brolin, as it’s his first role in the horror genre and comes off another huge success for him inDune: Part Two. For Cregger, it’s a chance to cement his place among the macabre after releasingBarbarianto critical acclaimand the #1 spot at the box office in its debut.
Where Has Garner Appeared Before?
This won’t be the only horror film on the docket for Garner. Before being cast inWeapons, theInventing Annastar was lined up toappear in 2025’sWolf Man, which hails fromInsidiousmastermindLeigh Whanelland also starsChristopher Abbottas Larry Talbot, and is set for the Paramountpsychological thrillerApartment 7A. Coincidentally, she also recently landed a spot opposite Cregger’s former lead Pascal inFantastic Fouras the Silver Surfer. Garner was most recently seen oppositeJessica HenwickinKitty Green’s unsettling thrillerThe Royal Hoteland is perhaps best known for her three-time Emmy-winning role inOzark. Her catalog has ballooned significantly in recent years, however, withThe Assistant,Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, andModern Loveamong her credits.
Weaponsbegins filming in Atlanta next month. There’s currently no release date, but it might not be long as the project has been a high priority for New Line. Stay tuned here at Collider for more on Cregger’s latest as it comes out.
