Weapons director Zach Cregger revealed that the Hollywood strike and Pedro Pascal's exit led to the full recasting of the film.
The new horror feature has been one of the most acclaimed films so far this year, with praise towards the director, script, and effective thriller tone. However, it underwent massive changes when it was being developed, which led to a lot of recastings, including the leading role.
Why Did Weapons Undergo a Lot of Changes?
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cregger revealed that Weapons underwent a lot of changes in the casting due to the Hollywood strike.
Pascal, Brian Tyree Henry, and Renate Reinsve were all originally supposed to be part of the film, but they all had to exit due to scheduling conflicts that were caused by the strike in 2023.
"I had a whole different cast for this movie. And then we had the strike, and then Pedro Pascal’s schedule threw us into turmoil. I had to recast the entire movie," the director said.
"This is what happens, right? The strikes delayed us, and then when you delay, people’s schedules get conflicts, and then you’re back at square one. I bear no ill will towards anybody. We just kept getting delayed and delayed. It’s like a domino effect. So I had to start over again."
Austin Abrams is the only original cast member who ended up staying after the overhaul.
"I loved the part and I didn’t wanna let it go. So I just really held on because I really wanted to do it," he said.
If Pascal ended up staying in the cast, Weapons would have been his fourth summer movie this year.
What is Zach Cregger's Weapons About?
The film's logline reads: "When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance."
The cast includes Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Cary Christopher, Amy Madigan, June Diane Raphael, and Abrams. Cregger wrote and directed the film.
The original release date was January next year, but after it received enthusiastic test screening scores, it was moved to August 8 this year.
So far, the film has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%, making it one of the most acclaimed releases this year.
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