The director’s latest horror film has already earned back its $38 million budget and is dominating the global box office. Its success is being driven by viral marketing and critical acclaim, proving that a strong story can beat out blockbuster competition.
August 11, 2025: The horror genre is still going strong in 2025, and Zach Cregger’s new movie, Weapons, is a major smash around the world, much beyond anything anyone expected. The movie generated an amazing $70 million around the world on its opening weekend. It easily took the top place and made more than its $38 million budget in just three days.
In North America, the movie did well, making $42.5 million and beating the other new release, Freakier Friday. But what actually makes it strong is that it appeals to individuals all around the world, pulling in $28 million from markets outside the US. It did better than both Freakier Friday and the major Marvel movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps since it did so well over the world.
Analysts think that the movie did well because of its viral marketing and strong word-of-mouth on social media, which made people very excited before it came out. The great praise (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) was also very important.
Weapons is one of this year’s numerous successful horror movies. Its first numbers were just slightly lower than those of Final Destination: Bloodlines and Sinners. The movie takes place in the small village of Maybrook, where a weird event involving 17 kids makes everyone scared, paranoid, and sad.