Warner Bros moves ahead with ‘Weapons’ prequel focused on Aunt Gladys — here's what we know so far
Warner Bros. has taken another step forward in the development of 'Weapons' prequel. A new update claims that the project has now secured the services of Zach Shields, according to Deadline. Shields is known for penning multiple ventures in the popular Monsterverse. He is working on the script with Zach Cregger, who directed the highly successful 2025 horror release. At present, the project reportedly has the working title of 'Gladys.' It will revolve around the character with the same name in 'Weapons.' The prequel will be the eponymous witch's origin story, focusing on her arrival in Maybrook.
Amy Madigan portrayed Gladys in 'Weapons' and won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance. The actress also received SAG-AFTRA’s Actor Award and the Critics' Choice Award for Supporting Actress for the role. She served as the main antagonist in the horror movie and terrified the audience with her sinister deeds as Alex's mysterious relative. “This is a woman who knows what she has to do, and she does it,” Madigan shared about the character. “Now, granted, some of her methods might be a little unusual. But she has that, and I think all women in our business should have more of that confidence, myself included. So if I can take that away from it, I’ll say this is a win for Aunt Gladys and for me.”
Madigan knew about the prequel's development and welcomed the possibility with caution. Being in the industry for so long, she knows that a lot of things need to go perfectly for a movie to come to fruition. She hopes that all these factors align perfectly for her return to the ‘Weapons’ universe, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Zach has a map of what he would like to do,” Madigan shared about the project. “It would be such a blast, and it would be really great if we could revisit her in some way. I’m excited about that possibility.” The character obviously means a lot to Madigan, as it ended her four-decade wait for the Academy Award, after her first nomination in 1986.
'Weapons' centered around the missing case of a group of children, who suddenly vanished in the middle of the night. The movie was released in theaters in August 2025. It soon became a sleeper hit, grossing $270 million at the global box office. Along with Madigan, the movie also featured Julia Garner and Josh Brolin in main roles. Cregger will return to produce the prequel along with Roy Lee and Miri Yoon. Shields recently completed work on 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire' and is known for his part in movies like 'Krampus' and 'Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla: King of the Monsters.'
