Latest news with #JoshBrolin
Express Tribune
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Zach Cregger's 'Weapons' debuts with perfect Rotten Tomatoes score amid glowing early reviews
Weapons, the upcoming horror film starring Josh Brolin, has premiered with a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on early critic reviews. Directed by Zach Cregger, known for his breakout horror film Barbarian, the new release is receiving strong critical approval ahead of its August cinema debut. The plot follows the disturbing disappearance of 17 children from the fictional town of Maybrook, who all leave their homes voluntarily at exactly 2:17am. No signs of force are found, and the community is left shaken as investigators search for answers. The mystery has already been praised for its structure and narrative tension. Dread Central called the film 'an instant horror classic,' and described it as 'joyously cruel, constantly surprising, brutally funny, and 100% cursed from top to bottom.' Gizmodo highlighted the premise as 'smart, seductive, and deeply disturbing,' noting that even a weaker version of the story would have been worth watching. SlashFilm described Weapons as 'a wonderful mixture of bad vibes and macabre fun,' while Edward Douglas of The Weekend Warrior called it 'the most 'WTF?!' movie ever,' but also one of the most enjoyable. The cast includes Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Benedict Wong, Amy Madigan, Austin Abrams, and Cary Christopher. While the Rotten Tomatoes score currently reflects only 10 reviews, the early reception suggests Weapons could become a standout title in this year's horror calendar. Zach Cregger's direction has been a focal point of the praise, with reviewers noting stylistic links to Barbarian but a fresh and cohesive execution. Weapons opens in theatres nationwide on August 8.
Pink Villa
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
EXCLUSIVE: Josh Brolin Reveals What Compelled Him to Join Zach Cregger's Weapons Movie: 'After 40 Years, I've Started to Look at Things Differently'
Josh Brolin, known for roles in No Country for Old Men and Avengers: Endgame, is stepping into new territory with Weapons, a horror-thriller from director Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Barbarian. Brolin spoke to Pinkvilla exclusively about what made him say yes to this chilling new film, calling the script both personal and powerful. A story that grew on him At first, Brolin wasn't sure about the project. 'I think what's happened in the trajectory of my career is after 40 years, I've started to look at things a little bit differently,' he told Pinkvilla. 'This kind of came up, and I hadn't seen Barbarian, but I read the script for Weapons and I thought the design of the script was really compelling, really interesting. And I kept going back to it.' Brolin admitted that his initial instinct was to walk away. 'I was like, 'Nah.' Then, every time I went back to it, it got more and more interesting.' Why working with Zach Cregger made it personal A big turning point came when Brolin met with director Zach Cregger. 'I felt like he was an open book,' Brolin said. 'He was kind of like, 'This is me. This is who I am. This is where I'm at in my life. This is what I've gone through. This is what this script came from.' Cregger shared that the script was inspired by the loss of a close friend, and each character represented part of his own emotional journey. 'That was the most interesting, which he alluded to in our first meeting and then expanded when we met again,' Brolin said. 'I was very moved by that. And so, that made it personal for me.' Here's what made Weapons stand out professionally From a career point of view, Josh Brolin was impressed by the structure of the script. 'The design of the script was exceptional, because it reminded me of early Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga, the kind of films that I loved,' he said. 'I like that this guy is obviously influenced by great people and is making it his own.' After finally watching Barbarian, Brolin was even more convinced. 'I really liked it,' he added. Brolin also praised Cregger for being a grounded and emotionally connected filmmaker. 'He's a very sensitive director-because of the sensitivity, he's very present, and he wants it to stay personal to him,' Brolin said. 'And I like that kind of pressure, as opposed to a guy who's just making a movie to make a lot of money. I mean, we all want to make a lot of money, but this is personal to him.' Weapons is a horror-thriller about a mysterious incident where all children, excluding one, vanish from the same class at exactly 2:17 a.m. The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.
Gizmodo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Josh Brolin Doesn't Seem Enthused About a Potential ‘Goonies 2'
Forty years have passed since The Goonies delighted audiences and captured the adventurous imaginations of a generation. In that time, talk of a sequel has never ended, but as of earlier this year, it's more real than it ever has been. Warner Bros. has, as of a few months back, hired someone to write a Goonies 2. And while many of the original cast members have been very vocal and excited about the idea, the group's elder statesman, Josh Brolin, seems much less enthusiastic. Brolin, who went on to star in iconic films like No Country for Old Men, True Grit, W., Avengers: Endgame, Dune, and Deadpool 2, among others, got his big break with a role in the 1985 Steven Spielberg-produced, Richard Donner-directed adventure. He played Brandon Walsh, a.k.a. Brand, the older brother of Mikey, played by Sean Astin. This week, Brand, we mean Brolin, spoke with io9 for his incredible new movie, Weapons, but we had to ask him about Goonies 2. We asked if the movie happened, and if his character is in it, would he have any trepidation about coming back? 'I would [have trepidations],' Brolin said. Why exactly? 'Because I love The Goonies, [but] it's been 41 years. Let it lay,' the actor said. He then paused and continued. 'I mean, no, I love the idea, but I don't know. If they made one with different kids, then it becomes a different thing, and I think it taints the original one. I think people get excited, and people who were in the original movie, they get excited about being able to work with that group again because it was such an amazing experience. So do I think it should be done? I don't know, man. I love it just standing like it does.' It certainly sounds like, if a Goonies 2 does get greenlit, it might have to happen without Josh Brolin's character. Which honestly could still work. He was part of the group but always on his own path, so it could be okay if he lived somewhere else than his brother, Mikey. And, of course, that's assuming whatever writer Potsy Ponciroli cooks up includes those characters. It could just be new characters and another mystery tied to One-Eyed Willy. Or something else entirely. But Brolin's point of view is certainly a valid one. Like he says, it's been 40 years. Maybe let it lie. Brolin's latest film, Weapons, is in theaters August 8, and we'll have more on it, and from him, soon. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nick Nolte, 84, Goes Out to Dinner Dinner with Sean Penn & Josh Brolin
Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Nick Nolte reunited for dinner in Malibu, California, this past weekend. The three actors previously worked together on the 2013 hit film Gangster Squad and have since maintained a close friendship with one another. We take a closer look at their 12-year-long relationship, as well as discover the must-know details about why this outing was so important for Nolte, 84, below! A look at Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Nick Nolte's friendship Penn, 64, Brolin, 57 and Nolte first worked together on the 2013 romantic thriller Gangster Squad, which also starred Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Anthony Mackie and Giovanni Ribisi. It was directed by Ruben Fleischer and grossed over $105.2 million at the worldwide box office, and the plot followed a Los Angeles mobster named Mickey Cohen (Penn) in the 1940s as he deals with things like politics, gambling, drugs and more. 'Sean wrote me an email that I read a couple of years ago. He said, 'I'm watching you in Bed of Roses right now and I can't believe it didn't make you a huge star.' That was a joke obviously. I was very fortunate that I got to be in this business a long time before anyone took any kind of notice,' Brolin told Collider in 2012. 'Working with Sean is always the greatest. Sean and I are always looking for things to do together because we enjoy each other. We're veterans in our own right.' Since that film was released, Brolin has gone on to reach new heights of fame thanks to his performance as Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Nolte was also in the MCU thanks to his role as Bruce Banner's (Eric Bana) father in the 2003 film Hulk; however, that was before the franchise became a billion-dollar box office industry, and he has never reprised that role. That just leaves Penn, the only member of the trio not to be in the MCU, and according to Collider, he never will, because he thinks that the superhero films have "claimed so much time in the careers of so many talented people." Along with them, several other members of the Gangster Squad cast have been in superhero movies, with Stone starring as Gwen Stacy alongside Andrew Garfield in both The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Mackie is also in the MCU and plays Sam Wilson/The Falcon/Captain America, a role that he is reportedly going to revive in the 2026 film Avengers: Doomsday. What to know about Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Nick Nolte's most recent reunion Penn, Brolin and Nolte recently went out for dinner in Malibu, California, and while Nolte might be the oldest one of the trip, we have to say he looked great in his halfway buttoned-up green shirt, silver hair and gorgeous tan—something that Brolin has made fun of him for in the past. 'I love that he came to the [Gangster Squad] premiere with a tan,' Brolin told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013. 'He's been really healthy, he's been running four miles a day, he's been in Haiti, he's been doing all these things. And, you know, he doesn't have time to put on makeup and go to a premiere, so he just shows up.' Nolte was born in 1941 and has been nominated for three Oscars. His most recent role was in the 2025 film Die My Love. He has two children and has been married to his wife Clytie Lane since 2016. For more entertainment news, keep scrolling! 'Wicked: For Good' Trailer Details You Might've Missed—Like That Glinda Wedding Scene! Netflix Just Dropped an Epic 'Stranger Things' Season 5 Trailer, Photos, Plot—and Surprise Details 'The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season 3 Is Here—With Romance, Drama and Taylor Swift Twists Solve the daily Crossword
Gizmodo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Zach Cregger's Mysterious New Horror Movie ‘Weapons' Has Critics Raving
Coming off a movie as insane and surprising as Barbarian, writer-director Zach Cregger certainly knew his next movie would carry massive expectations. That movie, called Weapons, is now almost here. And, based on the first reactions, he may have just blown those expectations away. Cregger wrote and directed the film, which stars Julia Garner (Ozark, Fantastic Four: First Steps) as a teacher who walks into school one day to find almost her entire class has gone missing. No one else has gone missing. Just 17 students from her class only. And, in fact, they all simultaneously, at 2:17 a.m., got up out of bed, ran out their front doors, and never returned. That's the mystery at the center of Weapons, which unfolds in an almost Robert Altman's Nashville, Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia version of a horror film with multiple characters—Garner's, but also a father played by Josh Brolin, a cop played by Alden Ehrenreich, and others—all reacting to this horrific mystery. It's a very cool, intriguing premise that audiences will find out about on August 8. But, ahead of release, the film recently screened for press, and here are just some of the incredibly positive reactions, starting with yours truly. #WeaponsMovie is beyond messed up & I loved every second of it. It's Magnolia the horror movie, as multiple characters circle a big, creepy mystery. Bit of a slow burn, but it pays off in huge, awesome, gory, disturbing ways. Less shocking than Barbarian, but much better. — Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 22, 2025#WEAPONS rules. If you're looking for a movie that keeps you on your toes from start to finish and delivers the unexpected time and time again, this is it. — Perri Nemiroff (@PNemiroff) July 22, 2025WEAPONS is an absolute blast: a creepy, funny ensemble piece that takes a MAGNOLIA/PULP FICTION/SHORT CUTS storytelling approach to unleash a memorable suburban nightmare. The grand finale had me cackling with twisted glee. #WeaponsMovie — Chris Evangelista (@cevangelista413) July 22, 2025Zach Cregger has crafted a horror masterpiece and the best film of the year with #Weapons! It's Prisoners by way of Magnolia with some of the Coen's absurdist humor. An absolutely BRILLIANT commentary on the attitudes and institutions during the fallout of a communal tragedy. The… — Griffin Schiller (@griffschiller) July 22, 2025WEAPONS was one of my favorite films of 2025 for most of its runtime, until the final act brought it down a few notches, and I'm sure I won't be alone in that feeling. Still, Zach Cregger once again proves he has a gift for crafting a haunting atmosphere, using jump scares… — Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) July 22, 2025WEAPONS is just as twisty as Zach Cregger's debut but allows the audience to piece together its mystery in a surprisingly funny and terrifying way. It's bonkers in the best of ways and shows how he continues to be a visionary in horror. — Rachel Leishman (@RachelLeishman) July 22, 2025WEAPONS is downright terrifying and cements Zach Cregger as a strong voice in modern horror and a master of mystery. I can't recall the last time a movie gave me chills like this one did. Extremely well-structured and executed with a talented cast. Buckle the fuck up. #Weapons — Matthieu Côté (matte) (@m77oz) July 22, 2025WEAPONS had me laughing until it didn't. such a confident, harrowing tale about mystery and obsession and how scary it is to be a kid and/or have a kid? another clever twist you won't expect, another great offering from cregger, another alden ehrenreich character i would smooch! — lyvie scott (@lyviescott) July 22, 2025So, there you have it. Almost all the reactions are over-the-moon positive, with a few minor issues here and there. Which is to be expected. But, considering I myself am in those reactions, I feel confident enough to say that Weapons does live up to the Barbarian hype. These reactions aren't lying. And, as we get closer to the film's release on August 8, you'll see more reactions, more reviews, and much more on the film itself. Benedict Wong, Austin Abrams, June Diane Raphael, and Amy Madigan also star in Weapons, which comes to theaters August 8. Check back here on io9 for interviews with writer-director Zach Cregger as well as star Josh Brolin soon. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
