Zach Cregger’s Weapons has officially joined the $100 million club at the domestic box office, marking another major win for original horror in 2025. The sleeper hit is the second R-rated original this year to pass the milestone, following Ryan Coogler’s Sinners.
The milestone underscores a remarkable year for Warner Bros.’ horror slate. The studio not only released Sinners through its main division but also backed Weapons under New Line Cinema and reignited the Final Destination franchise with Bloodlines, which shocked the industry earlier this summer with a $385 million global run. Weapons itself is no slouch overseas, with a current worldwide total approaching $170 million.
Domestically, Weapons hit $100 million on its 14th day in release. By comparison, Coogler’s Sinners reached the mark in nine days after its $48 million April debut. Cregger’s film outperformed expectations from the start, opening to $43.5 million over the Aug. 8–10 weekend—nearly $10 million above forecasts—thanks to strong reviews and enthusiastic word of mouth.
The project was one of the buzziest on the market when it sold in a heated bidding war, with New Line ultimately shelling out $38 million, including a $10 million payday for Cregger to write, direct, and produce. The filmmaker, who broke out with 2022’s Barbarian, is now in demand across the industry, commanding $20 million for his upcoming Resident Evil feature at Sony.
Weapons stars Julia Garner as a teacher whose students mysteriously vanish at 2:17 a.m., Josh Brolin as a grieving father determined to uncover the truth, and Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, and Amy Madigan. Madigan’s chilling turn as Aunt Gladys has already sparked awards chatter. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that Warner Bros. and New Line are exploring a potential prequel centered on the unsettling character, expanding on backstory Cregger originally trimmed from the script. No deals are in place yet, as Cregger is currently in Prague prepping Resident Evil.
Critics and audiences have embraced Weapons, awarding it a 96 percent Rotten Tomatoes score and an A- CinemaScore—an unusually high grade for horror, putting it in rare company with Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Rival studios credit Warner Bros.’ spoiler-conscious marketing campaign, which leaned into mystery rather than revealing the film’s twist. Premium formats also boosted returns, with Imax and other PLF screens accounting for 34 percent of the opening weekend gross.
The film’s success comes amid an impressive run for Warner Bros., which has scored seven No. 1 openings in 2025—six of which topped $40 million domestically. The studio is also on the verge of celebrating DC Studios’ Superman crossing $600 million worldwide, while F1: The Movie (a partnership with Apple Original Films) is expected to pass the same milestone this weekend.
Meanwhile, Coogler’s Sinners continues to make history, earning more than $278 million domestically and surpassing Jaws (unadjusted for inflation) as the highest-grossing R-rated horror release in North America. It is also the first original film since Disney’s Coco in 2017 to clear $200 million domestically. Globally, it sits at $366 million—short of Jaws’ $477 million but still a staggering performance for an original genre film.
For Warner Bros., the horror genre isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving.
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