Weaponsdirector,Zach Cregger, is finally opening up about what led to the recasting of the film’s leading man. Those who have been following the title since its early days will know thatPedro Pascal was initially castin the role of a father who was searching for the truth behind the disappearance of his son. But, as Cregger explained in a recent interview, the actors' and writers' strike of 2023 completely derailed the original blueprints for the film. According to Cregger, “I had a whole different cast for this movie,” which we now know not only included theFantastic Four: First StepsandThe Last of Usstars, but alsoBrian Tyree Henry(Bullet Train),Renate Reinsve(The Worst Person in the World), andAustin Abrams(Do Revenge).
Explaining what went down to cause such a major shift, Cregger continued,
“And then we had the strike, and then Pedro Pascal’s schedule threw us into turmoil. I had to recast the entire movie… This is what happens, right? The strikes delayed us, and then when you delay, people’s schedules get conflicts, and then you’re back at square one. I bear no ill will towards anybody. We just kept getting delayed and delayed. It’s like a domino effect. So I had to start over again."
Zach Cregger’s Brand New — Yet Equally Impressive — Leading Lineup
Of the original group, Abrams is the only actor who ended up in the film, which releases in cinemas later this week. “He hung tough with me. That’s my dude right there,” Cregger said of theEuphoriaalum. Eventually, the movie would find another all-star cast withJosh Brolin(Outer Range) picking up the part left open by Pascal andJulia Garner(The Fantastic Four: First Steps) andAlden Ehrenreich(Solo: A Star Wars Story) also joining the lineup.
At the end of the day, Cregger’s seemingly dead end turned into a redirection of sorts. In his interview, he looked back on the casting process and reflected on the addition of Garner, telling the publication:
“I Zoomed with Julia, and within like three minutes, I knew she was the one because she’s so intelligent. Just the way she’d already read the script and the way she talked about the character, it was like, ‘This is what I’ve been looking for.’ I’d been looking for someone who could smell the essence of this and knew exactly how to come in. I think Julia’s smarter than I am, so I knew it was gonna be in good hands with her.”
Weaponsarrives in cinemas on August 8.
