Published on: Aug 07, 2025 05:10 pm IST
Director Zach Cregger recast the movie, affecting other original cast members as well. The film, featuring a chilling mystery, opens in India on August 8.
Pedro Pascal was originally set to lead the upcoming mystery-horror film Weapons, but the role ultimately went to Josh Brolin. In a recent interview, writer-director Zach Cregger revealed the reason behind the casting change.
Pedro Pascal was slated to portray Archer Graff, the father of one of the missing children in the film. However, due to scheduling conflicts caused by industry strikes, the production faced significant delays. Cregger explained, “I had a whole different cast for this movie. And then we had the strike, and Pedro Pascal’s schedule threw us into turmoil. I had to recast the entire movie,” he shared with Entertainment Weekly.
The impact of these scheduling conflicts extended beyond Pascal. Original cast members Brian Tyree Henry and Renate Reinsve also had to exit the project, leaving Cregger to start from scratch. “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… It’s like a domino effect. So I had to start over again,” Cregger added, reflecting on the challenges faced during production.
Despite missing out on Weapons, Pedro Pascal has had a busy year, starring in several high-profile projects. His roles include appearances in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eddington from A24, HBO’s The Last of Us, and Celine Song’s The Materialists. This year has solidified his status as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents.
About Weapons
Weapons, written and directed by Zach Cregger, features Josh Brolin as Archer Graff and Julia Garner as teacher Justine Gandy. The film’s premise is gripping: seventeen children vanish simultaneously at 2:17 a.m. in a small American town, leading to a series of strange visions and cryptic links that begin to surface. The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of various characters—parents, teachers, and locals—each offering unsettling clues that inch closer to the horrifying truth.
With a talented ensemble cast that includes Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan, Weapons promises to deliver a chilling cinematic experience. The film is set for theatrical release on August 8, and anticipation is building as audiences prepare to delve into this unsettling mystery.
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