2025 marked one of the biggest years for the horror movie genre in Hollywood, in particular for Warner Bros. Discovery, as the studio brought out multiple installments that became massive hits. As one of their films has officially become available on HBO Max, audience members have quickly helped it become a streaming hit.
Zach Cregger’s Weapons, the suspenseful supernatural mystery about several children disappearing for unknown reasons, has made its way to HBO Max, as of Friday, October 24, 2025. The 2025 entry has already emerged on the streaming charts for Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streaming service, as it is currently the #1 title on the platform in the U.S.
The Julia Garner-starring film grossed $267.5 million at the worldwide box office, with $151.5 million coming from domestic ticket sales, while $116 million came from the international market. Cregger’s movie was reportedly made on a $38 million budget, making this a big success for Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Weapons cast also includes Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Benedict Wong, Cary Christopher, and Amy Madigan. Other titles currently in the top 10 for HBO Max also include The Substance at #2, Bring Her Back at #3, and 2025’s Superman from DC Studios at #4.
Children running away in Weapons
Weapons’ instant success on HBO Max came shortly after Warner Bros. Discovery officially began to strategize for the awards season, as the horror film is part of their FYC round. The studio is eying the film for several Oscar categories, including Best Picture, Best Actress (for Julia Garner), and Best Director (for Zach Cregger).
Category
People
Best Picture
ZACH CREGGER, p.g.a.
MIRI YOON, p.g.a.
ROY LEE
Best Director
ZACH CREGGER
Best Original Screenplay
ZACH CREGGER
Best Actress
JULIA GARNER
Best Supporting Actress
AMY MADIGAN
Best Supporting Actor
JOSH BROLIN
ALDEN EHRENREICH
AUSTIN ABRAMS
CARY CHRISTOPHER
BENEDICT WONG
Best Casting
ALLISON JONES
Best Cinematography
LARKIN SEIPLE
Best Film Editing
JOE MURPHY
Best Production Design
Production Designer
TOM HAMMOCK
Set Decorator
GRETCHEN GATTUSO
Best Costume Design
TRISH SUMMERVILLE
Best Make-Up And Hairstyling
Make-Up Department Head
LEO SATKOVICH
Hair Department Head
MELIZAH WHEAT
Special Make-Up Effects Designer
JASON COLLINS
Best Sound
Sound Mixer
JAMES PETERSON
Supervising Sound Editor/Re-Recording Mixer
LUCIANO VIGNOLA
Re-Recording Mixer
FILIPE MESSEDER
Best Visual Effects
Visual Effects Supervisor
GABRIEL REGENTIN
Best Original Score
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
RYAN HOLLADAY
HAYS HOLLADAY
ZACH CREGGER
In ScreenRant’s Weapons movie review, Zack Moser shared how “while there are certainly moments of tension-relieving humor, Weapons never stops being a horror movie, more Scream than Cabin in the Woods. ” The film currently sits on 93% in the Critics’ Score while having an 85% approval in the audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
During an interview with Variety on August 8, 2025, Cregger stated that he has ideas for potential sequels in the Weapons world, “Definitely. I’ve actually … it’s funny you asked that. I can’t help it: I have another idea for something in this world that I’m kind of excited about.” However, he stressed that he is “not going to do it next, and I probably won’t do it after my next movie, but I do have one and I’d like to see it on the screen one day.”
Release Date
August 8, 2025
Runtime
128 minutes
Director
Zach Cregger