A ‘Weapons’ Prequel Is in the Works Whether We Like It or Not

**Spoilers for Weapons lie ahead**

One of my favorite Patton Oswalt bits is about the Star Wars prequels. In it, he pretends to meet George Lucas, who gleefully explains that the prequels will be about Darth Vader as a little kid, much to Patton’s dismay. He then jokes that George offers him ice cream and, instead of handing over the delicious treat, tries to give him milk, sugar, and rock salt. “I don’t give a s*** where the stuff I love comes from. I just love the stuff I love,” Oswalt yells to round everything out.

I wouldn’t call what Oswalt says a hard-and-fast rule. I’ve enjoyed a prequel or origin story here and there. Hell, I was a fan of those Star Wars prequels (though I benefited from being a bit younger than Patton when they were released). That said, there is something to his point. Not everything needs an origin. Some characters are better off with an air of mystery about them. That was certainly the case with Aunt Gladys from Weapons.

Zach Cregger’s crazy summer horror film was driven by a central mystery: Why did a bunch of children in one class get up and run into the darkness at 2:17 AM? The answer? A witch did it. While not the most satisfying answer to the question that drove the marketing, I doubt that any reveal would have met expectations. Instead, Cregger went for something delightfully simple, turning the film into a kind of fairy tale.

We also get introduced to a new character. While only seen and hinted at in nightmare-driven jump scares at first, Aunt Gladys, the witch in question, makes for a thrilling central villain. Amy Madigan delivers an unforgettable performance, and the ending that the character meets was one of the most exciting experiences I had in a theater this summer. And that’s it! Aunt Gladys is forever preserved as a great horror villain. Nothing more, nothing—

You read the headline. You know it’s not over. In an interview with Fangoria magazine, Cregger revealed that he has been developing a prequel film about Aunt Gladys. “It is real and I’ve been talking to Warner Bros. about it,” the director explained. “There’s a story, and I’m pretty excited about it. It’s not bullsh***.” I really liked Weapons! I’ve liked it even more as I’ve thought about it. Not once have I thought, “I wish I knew what Aunt Gladys was up to before the story.”

Some things are just better left mysterious. Gladys’s powers are not defined in the film. We can assume how they work based on what we are shown, but that’s all we need. There are no long monologues about where she’s from or how she does what she does, and the movie is better for it. Yes, a prequel would be a separate experience, but it feels like it would sap some of what makes Weapons special.

Obviously, I can choose not to watch the movie. Though, honestly, I probably will! I like Zach Cregger. I trust him. On the surface, this idea is just not for me. Hopefully, I’m surprised. Cregger says he’s had the idea ready to go since before the film came out. Amy Madigan said she would be happy to be involved, though she isn’t holding her breath, given how things come and go in Hollywood. For now, we wait and see, and once again beg Warner Bros. to release Barbarian on Blu-ray.