The highly – anticipated follow – up to the hit horror film “Barbarian” has received an exciting teaser from one of its stars. Titled “Weapons”, the movie premiered in theaters on January 16, 2026. It is the next project from director Zach Cregger, who transitioned from a career in comedy, including works like “The Whitest Kids U’Know” and “Miss March”, to make a remarkable horror debut with the twist – laden “Barbarian” in 2022. “Weapons”, which is set in Florida, boasts an impressive cast featuring Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams, and June Diane Raphael.
Julia Garner, promoting her upcoming Blumhouse horror movie “Wolf Man”, touched upon the topic of “Weapons”. Although she couldn’t disclose much about the project, Garner described it as not a typical horror movie. She noted that it takes after “Barbarian” by carving out its own unique genre space, incorporating “comedic elements” as well. In her words, “It’s not a proper horror movie. It feels very Zach Cregger in that element. There are some comedic elements to it. Barbarian felt like that as well. This also feels [singular], so I’m excited. I’m excited for people to see it and hear their response.”
What this means for “Weapons” is that audiences can expect more surprises. While Garner’s comments left the details of the plot somewhat veiled, what we do know about the narrative of the Josh Brolin – led movie is that it follows multiple interwoven storylines. These storylines cover a wide range of topics, such as witchcraft and corruption in law enforcement, all seemingly connected by the disappearances of several children. Her comparison to “Barbarian” provides some clues about how the movie might unfold.
“Barbarian” was not only a critical success, earning a Certified Fresh 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but also a box – office hit, grossing $45.4 million with a budget of approximately $4.5 million. It featured three seemingly unconnected threads that converged around an isolated Detroit home – an Airbnb mishap causing two strangers to co – inhabit, a disgraced star’s attempt at a comeback, and a man stalking women in his neighborhood. These threads merged into a story that deftly blended humor, horror, and a plethora of unexpected twists. It appears that “Weapons” may follow a similar pattern, gradually revealing the underlying connections between its seemingly disparate story elements while crafting a unique genre – blended tone.
Julia Garner’s comments about “Weapons” is indeed an exciting prospect. As a successor to “Barbarian”, “Weapons” has high expectations to meet. However, it seems that Zach Cregger is leveraging his strengths and maintaining the element of surprise that made his 2022 film stand out. If he can replicate this success with “Weapons”, he could potentially follow in the footsteps of Jordan Peele, a comedy performer – turned – director who has successfully made the unexpected transition to the horror genre.
Related content: