In a remarkable turn of events, Warner Bros. has achieved a significant milestone once again on the Hollywood studio lot. On Thursday, writer-director Zach Cregger‘s horror film Weapons became the second original R-rated film of 2023 to surpass the $100 million mark domestically. This achievement follows the success of Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners, which has taken the box office by storm during a time when the horror genre is facing numerous challenges.
Warner Bros. is enjoying a trifecta of success in the horror genre, with Weapons joining the ranks alongside Sinners and the Final Destination: Bloodlines franchise reboot. The latter surprised audiences by raking in over $385 million during the early summer box office. Notably, Weapons has also performed well internationally, boasting an early worldwide gross of approximately $170 million.
Weapons achieved the impressive $100 million milestone in just 14 days since its release, outpacing Sinners, which accomplished the feat in nine days after opening to $48 million in April. The buzz surrounding Cregger’s film helped it exceed expectations with a domestic opening weekend of $43.5 million from August 8-10, outperforming forecasts by more than $10 million.
The script for Weapons ignited a fierce bidding war when it was first introduced in the market. Ultimately, New Line and Warner Bros. triumphed over competing studios by investing $38 million, which included a $10 million deal for Cregger to write, direct, and produce the film. Cregger gained recognition for his debut feature, Barbarian (2022), which he both wrote and directed. Following this, sources indicate that he has secured a $20 million fee for his next project, which involves the upcoming Resident Evil film from Sony.
Weapons stars Julia Garner as a teacher who discovers that 17 out of 18 children in her class mysteriously left their beds and vanished into the night at precisely 2:17 a.m. Josh Brolin portrays a distraught father on a quest to find his missing child, while Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Amy Madigan add depth to the ensemble cast. Madigan’s portrayal of the eerie Aunt Gladys is generating significant awards buzz.
Adding to the excitement, multiple sources have reported that Warner Bros. and New Line are in discussions with Cregger about developing a prequel that delves into the origin story of Aunt Gladys. Initially, Cregger had included a chapter focused on Gladys’s backstory but removed it for pacing reasons. Given the film's success, that omitted storyline may now be expanded into a full-length feature.
Weapons has received an impressive 96% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, along with an A- CinemaScore from audiences, an exceptional rating for a horror film. This aligns with the success of other groundbreaking horror films, such as Get Out, which also earned an A- and catapulted Jordan Peele to stardom.
Industry peers have praised Warner Bros. for its marketing campaign for Weapons, which successfully maintained the film’s suspense without revealing crucial plot twists. The film secured a coveted two-week run in IMAX theaters, contributing to a remarkable 34% of its opening weekend gross coming from premium large-format screens.
Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, has grossed over $278 million domestically, making it the first original film since Coco (2017) to surpass $200 million in North America. It has also surpassed Jaws to become the highest-grossing R-rated horror film domestically, though its worldwide earnings still trail behind Jaws’ total of $477 million.
With Weapons marking the seventh Warner Bros. release of the year to debut at number one, the studio is setting an unrivaled record. As Warner Bros. prepares to celebrate upcoming milestones, including James Gunn’s Superman crossing the $600 million mark, the studio remains a formidable force in the entertainment industry.
