After Weapons dominated the 2025 box office, fans were left haunted by one question: Who exactly is Aunt Gladys? Now, director Zach Cregger confirms a prequel is in the works — and it promises to answer the film’s darkest mysteries.
The biggest was Aunt Gladys’ origins, deliberately left unanswered by Zach Cregger. Now, Cregger has confirmed a Weapons prequel focused on Aunt Gladys is underway!
What is the story of Weapons prequel?
According to Entertainment Weekly, Weapons director Zach Cregger confirmed the prequel is real and happening. He shared,
“I have the story in my head…The story is beat out. I haven’t written it, but I’m working with another really talented writer.” [Source]
The co-writer is Cregger’s good friend. He is Zach Shields, who also wrote Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019), and Krampus (2015).
He elucidated that he cannot tell much about the story because it is still in the development stages. He was excited about the plot as both writers have to refine every hole in Aunt Gladys’s story to make it crystal clear for the audience.
The Weapons universe is going to expand for sure, but is it going to be darker than the original Weapons or Barbarian (2022)? We are still unsure whether it will be more violent or full of intensity. We don’t know yet whether it will be R-rated or not.
Who is Aunt Gladys in Weapons?
Aunt Gladys was a secretive and shady character in one of the highest-grossing horror films of 2025, Weapons. The character was played by Amy Madigan.
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She was apparently the sister of young Alex Lilly’s mom, who was sick and came to live with them. Alex Lilly (played by Cary Christopher) was the only child in the class who didn’t go missing the night when 17 children mysteriously woke up from their beds at exactly 2:17 am and did not come back.
Being the main antagonist of the film, Aunt Gladys is involved in black magic, but we are unaware of how she has gotten herself into her worst condition. Why did she ask young Alex to help her get better, because she was sick?
How will bringing name tags of those 17 children from young Alex’s classmates help Aunt Gladys recover? How will keeping those children like a ghost in her basement support her better health?
Amy Madigan as Aunt Gladys, an occult expert, is wreaking absolute havoc in the fictional town of Maybrook. We can’t wait to see whether the story will involve her childhood disturbances at home or the proceedings of her black magic from her young age.
And what led her to her own doom in worsening health condition. What led her to young Alex’s home? And whether she is his real aunt or not?
Will the Weapons prequel focused on Aunt Gladys reveal her true origins?
What is the mystery related to the time 2:17 am? It was shown at another instance when Archer Graff (played by Josh Brolin) was trying to figure out what happened on the very night. He went to the neighbors to ask the directions on where the children went running.
The directions matched and led to one house, which was Aunt Gladys’s. He saw the time written above the house with the sign of a gun. Although the scene initially seemed unnecessary to me but it now implies that the time might actually have a meaning in Aunt Gladys’s Weapons prequel.
It is reported that an entire chapter based on Aunt Gladys was removed from the film, suggesting that it might have been kept for the prequel. Thus, we could expect some clarification on the picking of a precise time for the children going missing on the same night.
Secondly, what was the story of a specific tree that Aunt Gladys kept carrying around with her? Was it the particular branch of that tree plant that helped her do magic, curl some hair around its branch, and put a drop of blood? Was it only possible with that special tree, and why not any other plant?
Third, how were those children supposed to make Aunt Gladys feel better if she was sick? The children and Alex’s parents were positioned still for days. Children were standing in the basement while the parents were locked in their chairs, surprisingly without any ropes, waiting for Aunt Gladys’s orders to instill any harm that she wanted.
Was Aunt Gladys supposed to feel better once she felt powerful by giving orders to those whom she had enslaved? This will remain a breakthrough question to answer the entire prequel story based on Aunt Gladys.
When is Weapons prequel releasing?
Since the project is in the initial stages of writing and the director confirmed that the story is being polished repeatedly, the final release date has not been settled yet.
Passionate Entertainment Writer | Trusted Pop Culture Voice
Madiha Ali is an experienced entertainment writer with over five years of expertise in covering movies, TV shows, celebrity news, and pop culture. Her bylines appear on trusted platforms like Screen Anarchy, High on Films, Ary News, The Express Tribune, Tea and Banter, Show Snob, CelebFeedz, Snapfeedz, Daily Planet Media, The Irish Insider, and Movie Insiderz.
She brings a personal, insightful approach to every story—whether she’s analyzing the emotional layers of a film or giving her take on trending celebrity headlines. Madiha’s writing style is known for being authentic, well-researched, and reader-focused.
When she’s not writing, she’s fully immersed in the world of entertainment—watching new releases, revisiting classics, exploring behind-the-scenes content, or reading books that fuel her creativity. Her passion for storytelling drives her work and helps her stay connected to what matters most in the industry.
Madiha believes great stories start conversations, challenge perspectives, and stay with us long after the credits roll. Through her writing, she continues to share those stories with clarity, depth, and heart.
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