HBO Max to Premiere 2025’s Horror Sensation – Release Date Revealed

Zach Cregger’s 2025 horror hit, Weapons, is coming to HBO Max on October 24. The supernatural mystery film originally hit theaters on August 8 and quickly became one of the summer’s standout horror movies.

It follows seventeen children from the same classroom who mysteriously disappear on the same night, blending urban legend-inspired suspense with Cregger’s signature twists.

Weapons marks Cregger’s follow-up to his 2022 breakout hit, Barbarian. After Barbarian’s success, he wrote a spec script for Weapons that sparked a bidding war among studios, with New Line Cinema ultimately acquiring the project.

Production faced delays due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, but filming began in Atlanta in February 2024 and wrapped in July of the same year. Cregger reportedly sold the script for $38 million.

The movie features an ensemble cast including Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Toby Huss, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, and Cary Christopher. Cregger not only directed, wrote, and produced the film but also contributed to its musical score.

Weapons performed strongly at the box office, earning $267 million worldwide, with $151 million from the United States and Canada alone.

According to Variety, the film was expected to make at least $65 million in theatrical profit. Critics have been largely positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 360 reviews were favorable, with the site stating, “Zach Cregger spins an expertly crafted yarn of terrifying mystery and thrilling intrigue in Weapons, a sophomore triumph that solidifies his status as a master of horror.”

Metacritic gave the film a score of 81 out of 100, indicating universal acclaim. Audiences agreed, giving it an average grade of A− on CinemaScore and 4 out of 5 stars on PostTrak, with 65% saying they would “definitely recommend” the film.

There’s something wrong in Maybrook. #WeaponsMovie – only in theaters August 8. pic.twitter.com/Jb8xd5xkfq

— New Line Cinema (@newlinecinema) April 29, 2025

Film reviewers praised Cregger’s approach. Empire’s John Nugent gave it a perfect score, saying, “The entire film, in fact, is something that shouldn’t work, but does. Can a film about missing children and grief be called a crowd-pleaser? In Zach Cregger’s hands, it feels almost effortless.”

Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, highlighting the script’s refusal to over-explain every detail. Variety’s Peter Debruge called it “a cruel and twisted bedtime story” with a darkly comic finale. Screen Daily’s Tim Grierson noted that “Weapons gracefully balances its different tensions, all of them cathartically released during the superbly orchestrated, graphically violent final 20 minutes.”

The Verge’s Charles Pulliam-Moore added that the film cleverly examines how communities often scapegoat imagined threats instead of addressing real dangers.

With its HBO Max release approaching, fans now have the chance to stream one of 2025’s most talked-about horror films from home.

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