Zach Cregger teases Gladys’ origin story in Weapons prequel at Comic-Con

Zach Cregger told a San Diego Comic-Con crowd Thursday that he is actively writing the origin story of Weapons villain Aunt Gladys, calling it “an amazing story” ahead of New Line’s planned 2028 prequel, currently titled Gladys.

TL;DR

• Zach Cregger gave a script update on the Weapons prequel, working title Gladys, at Collider’s Directors on Directing panel on July 23, 2026.
• The screenplay is being co-written with Zach Shields; New Line has set the film for a September 8, 2028 release.
• Amy Madigan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Aunt Gladys in the original film.
• Weapons carries an 18 certificate from the BBFC for UK cinemas.

What Cregger said at Comic-Con

Speaking at Collider’s Directors on Directing panel, Cregger said he was excited to revisit the character and praised his collaboration with Madigan, according to TheWrap. He explained that keeping Gladys mysterious had served the original film, but that her backstory offers rich material for a standalone feature.

“There’s an amazing story to be told about where Gladys comes from,” Cregger told the crowd, according to the Hollywood Reporter. He added that the prequel would carry the same twists that defined Weapons.

Cregger also screened new footage from his forthcoming Resident Evil adaptation at the panel, which arrives in theaters before the Gladys project moves forward.

The Gladys prequel: what we know

Zach Shields, known for his work on the Monsterverse films, is co-writing the Gladys screenplay alongside Cregger, with New Line developing the project. The studio confirmed at CinemaCon earlier this year that the film is scheduled for release on September 8, 2028, though Cregger has not confirmed whether he will also direct.

Before turning back to Gladys, Cregger is finishing his Resident Evil reboot, out in September, followed by an original sci-fi feature called The Flood.

UK release and rating

Weapons was classified 18 by the BBFC for its July 2025 UK cinema run, cited for strong bloody violence and gore, with Warner Bros Entertainment UK Ltd as distributor. The film went on to gross $270 million worldwide against a $38 million budget, with Madigan’s performance earning her the best supporting actress Oscar.

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Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed July 24, 2026.