"From Box Office Smash to Bidding War: Zach Cregger's Cinematic Journey"

Everyone remember 2022's cinema shocker, Barbarian, right? You know, the one everyone was buzzing about; the flick big enough to make Nicole Kidman speechless. Well, that was the work of the talented Zach Cregger, a filmmaker whose mastery of unexpected thrills earned his movie a whopping $40 million in US earnings, operating on a budget that didn't even hit $5 million. Talk about box office clout!

Cregger, previously known for his comedic sketches in The Whitest Kids U’ Know, and a resume peppered with TV comedy roles, apparently struck oil with Barbarian. Now, he's ready to strike again with Weapons, his soon-to-be-released movie stirring up major excitement in Tinseltown.

Weapons explores a small town thrown into chaos when 17 students vanish, overnight, from their homes. The intriguing plot triggered a calculated battle between studios trying to seize the project, with New Line taking home the golden goose.

Now, you might be wondering, how did Cregger conjure up such a thrilling concept? It seems sorrow played a part. Cregger began penning Weapons while mourning the loss of a dear friend. Writing, in his words, emerged as a catharsis, helping him expel the “venom” of grief and loss. Reminiscent of Stephen King’s creative process, the storyline unfolded line by line, with the final picture revealing itself bit by bit, just like a paleontologist meticulously discovering a dinosaur skeleton.

His writing began as a therapeutic exercise but quickly evolved. The gripping story eventually found its way to the desks of every studio simultaneously, thanks to the Ember Shot app - a secure software for screenplay distribution. A quick call from Mike De Luca, Warners co-chief, and the deal was sealed by the afternoon.

From then, a two-year road to production began. An industry strike caused a complete recasting of the movie, resulting in an arduous wait for Cregger. The casting process prioritised skilled dramatic actors with a touch of comedic flair, with each cast member effectively leading their own narrative arc within the film.

Cregger's innovative storytelling extends to the structure of the film, which borrows from the episodic shifts in perspective featured in Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad. Each perspective shift gradually draws the viewer closer to the plot's resolution.

Drawing from deeply personal experiences, the movie deals with the difficult terrain of alcoholism. An ordeal Cregger has personally experienced. Within this world, audiences follow Alex, a character living in a home haunted by alcoholic parents. However, Cregger insists that the movie is about much more than that. His ultimate goal is simply to entertain viewers, leaving them to draw their own conclusions about the film's themes.

Reflecting on the state of the movie industry, Cregger sees horror as an outlet for creativity and risk. In his opinion, traditional genres like comedies and dramas for adults have taken a backseat to high-budget superhero movies. The filmmaker hopes to shelve industry norms for intriguing, edgier stories.

Cregger is in the middle of prepping for a Resident Evil movie, another original screenplay. The wish list following that includes another sci-fi film and another set in DC Universe but is not a superhero movie. All of these independently written by him. As Cregger puts it, in a world where everything can change on a dime, he’s just trying not to sound like an idiot.