‘Resident Evil movies? I’ve never seen one’: Weapons director Zach Cregger on…
October 3, 2026 6:51am
Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical. After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year...
Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical. After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year-old video game has caused a storm among protective fans. When Barbarian, Zach Cregger’s debut film as a solo writer-director, came out in 2022, it was a big success, creating a buzz among horror connoisseurs, garnering good reviews, and grossing $46m. The Guardian reported this update on 2026-09-20 with additional details in the linked source coverage.
5-Second Takeaway
Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical.
Why This Matters
After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year-old video game has caused a storm among protective fans. When Barbarian, Zach Cregger’s debut film as a solo writer-director, came out in 2022, it was a big success, creating a buzz among horror connoisseurs, garnering good reviews, and grossing $46m.
What Changed
- The Guardian published this report on 2026-09-20.
- The headline focus is "‘Resident Evil movies? I’ve never seen one’: Weapons director Zach Cregger on resurrecting the beloved zombie franchise".
- Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical.
- After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year-old video game has caused a storm among protective fans.
- When Barbarian, Zach Cregger’s debut film as a solo writer-director, came out in 2022, it was a big success, creating a buzz among horror connoisseurs, garnering good reviews, and grossing $46m.
- Then his second film, Weapons, came out in 2025 and did even better.
- Mounting industry buzz around the project crystallised into a fierce bidding war; Jordan Peele was reportedly desperate to produce and, incensed by his failure to secure the rights, allegedly fired his managers.
- The rumours went viral, resulting in a wave of incredible PR that saw the film wildly outperform box office expectations and win an Academy Award (for Amy Madigan’s blunt-fringed, bonsai-pruning best supporting actress turn as instantly classic villain Aunt Gladys).Even if Cregger had not had a box-office smash that crossed over into awards contention, there would still be an atmosphere of hushed expectation around his next move.
Key Facts
- The Guardian published this report on 2026-09-20.
- The headline focus is "‘Resident Evil movies? I’ve never seen one’: Weapons director Zach Cregger on resurrecting the beloved zombie franchise".
- Raised on punk, alt-comedy and the church, Cregger’s Lynchian approach to horror is anything but typical.
- After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year-old video game has caused a storm among protective fans.
Key Numbers
- The Guardian published this report on 2026-09-20.
- After two wildly original hits, his pivot to a 30-year-old video game has caused a storm among protective fans.
- When Barbarian, Zach Cregger’s debut film as a solo writer-director, came out in 2022, it was a big success, creating a buzz among horror connoisseurs, garnering good reviews, and grossing $46m.
- Then his second film, Weapons, came out in 2025 and did even better.