Halloween is fast approaching, and while some might be starting to get into panic mode regarding what they are going to do for a costume, I’m willing to bet that a whole lot of people figured out their plans in early August as they were walking out of the movie theater after seeing Weapons. Aunt Gladys (played on the big screen by Amy Madigan) is a character that is surely going to be spotted everywhere on October 31 as folks celebrate the most candy and horror-filled holiday of the year. And writer/director Zach Cregger is extremely ready to see photos all over social media.
With Weapons now on the home video market, I recently had the chance to conduct a virtual interview with the filmmaker, and while the vast majority of our conversation involved discussion of Aunt Gladys (like how her chapter would have fit into the film), my very first question was about her potential impact on Halloween 2025. Cregger won’t be in the country personally to see waves of colorful witches at parties and costume parades, as he is currently out of the country filming the new Resident Evil movie, but he is psyched to see everyone dress up. He told me,
Oh, man, I’m ready. Yeah. Throw ’em at me. I won’t be there to see it, which breaks my heart. I’m in Prague now, and I would love to see it, but yeah, I hope that it is a big thing this Halloween. That would be great.
So what is it that makes Aunt Gladys such an obvious choice as a Halloween costume? I think it comes down to two things. The first is broad familiarity: Weapons proved to be one of the biggest box office hits of the year, and the character will be recognized by anyone who has seen the film due to Amy Madigan’s phenomenal performance.
The other thing is iconography: between the bold sunglasses, heavy makeup, shocking red wig with short bangs, and colorful attire, the look of the character can be achieved with a collection of easy-to-acquire clothes and accessories.
Of course, while parade and party-goers will have the option of directly representing the character, there are also going to be others who opt for the “variant” route. You know that there are going to be at least some people out there who take the big swing and try to create Sexy Aunt Gladys – and Zach Cregger very much wants to see the effort made. When I brought up the idea, he told me,
Bring it on. It’s all, it’s all legal. Let’s go.
For those of you who are planning your Aunt Gladys costume now, the good news is that the film in which she is featured is now easily accessible for reference! Physical media fans have to wait for the arrival of the 4K UHD/Blu-ray/DVD in stores next Tuesday, October 14, but Weapons is now available to rent and purchase digitally from all major online outlets.