Josh Brolin’s upcoming horror movie Weapons has moved up its release date following a reshuffling at Warner Bros. Being moved up suggests that the studio is very confident in the movie, which is directed by Zach Cregger, who previously helmed the hit 2022 horror film Barbarian. The story of Weapons will follow an ensemble who reacts to the mysterious disappearances of multiple children in a small town. In addition to Brolin, the cast of the movie includes Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, and Benedict Wong.

According to Warner Bros., the studio has switched Weapons’ release date from January 16, 2026 to August 8, 2025. It has taken the release date that was originally planned for Paul Thomas Anderson’s next movie, тιтled One Battle After Another, which will now release in September. In addition to these moves, Warner Bros. also made several other release date changes, which are as follows:

What This Release Date Change Means For Weapons

Warner Bros. Expects Weapons To Be A Huge Success

In addition to the Warner Bros. ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reported that these release date changes were made in response to Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17 not performing well at the box office. While Mickey 17 will lose Warner Bros. a significant amount of money, the studio is confident that Cregger’s Weapons can be a successful horror movie at the box office. According to the outlet, the horror film was previously only scheduled for a January 2026 release because of the availability of IMAX screens.

However, the new release date shifts ensure that Weapons can still play in IMAX theaters, which have continuously proven to be very profitable for studios. Not many story details are currently known about Cregger’s upcoming movie, but it has been described as a horror epic with multiple interconnecting stories. It is amusing that the horror movie switched release dates with One Battle After Another, since the tone of Weapons has been compared to Anderson’s acclaimed 1999 film Magnolia, which also features interweaving storylines with an ensemble cast.

Our Take On Weapons’ Release Date Change

Weapons Could Be A Standout 2025 Horror Movie

Ever since the release of Barbarian, I have been excited to see what Cregger would do next. Barbarian is one of the best and most original horror movies of recent years, so I have no doubt that Weapons will also be a critical and commercial success. Not only will we receive the horror movie five months earlier than it was originally slated to come out, but this release date change proves that Warner Bros. is very confident in the film. Therefore, there is no reason not to be excited for Weapons, Cregger’s highly anticipated follow-up to Barbarian.

Sources: Warner Bros. and ᴅᴇᴀᴅline