New Line Cinema landed Barbarian creator Zach Cregger's next horror project, Weapons, after a heated auction against other front-runners like Netflix and Universal.
Cregger's Barbarian took the horror world by storm in September when the small-budget film landed at the top of the box office, a rarity for horror films and break-out movies from new directors. Barbarian, which mines the underworld of Detroit decay and gentrification, starred Georgina Campbell and Bill Skarsgard as Airbnb renters who find much more than they bargained for beneath their rental, including a terrifying decades-long resident known as Mother.
According to Deadline, the plot of Weapons is not yet known, but the film garnered much competition from other networks and film companies following the success of Barbarian. Cregger chose New Line because of their offer of a guaranteed theatrical release. The film brings together Cregger with his Barbarian production team, including Roy Lee, J.D. Lifshitz, Raphael Margules, and Miri Yoon.
Weapons, described as both horror and thriller, should be a draw for theatrical audiences after the phenomenal success of Barbarian, which topped the domestic box office on its opening weekend with $10.5 million, more than double its production budget of $4.5 million. “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 Chief Creative Officer, Richard Brener. "We couldn’t be happier that he, Roy and Miri and J.D. and Rafi chose New Line to be the home of his next film, and hope it is the first of many to come."
While September release weekends usually are slower than other parts of the year, Barbarian's success proved that horror fans are eager for fresh, new horror built around interesting and unexplored stories. Film critics praised Barbarian for exploring urban gentrification, feminism, and corporate greed themes. It was also praised for its slow-burn terror and great performances by Campbell, Skarsgard, and Justin Long, who plays the morally ambiguous Hollywood landlord of the Detroit property facing charges of sexual assault.
Barbarian has gone on to further success after its streaming release right before Halloween, earning around $45 million worldwide, a success for low-budget horror. Weapons, with Cregger at the helm and so many in Hollywood interested, bodes well for another hit in the horror genre.
Barbarian is available on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney Plus in Canada.
Source: Deadline