Something strange and ‘one-time-only’ has arrived from the creators of a horror film dubbed ‘nightmarish’ just from its trailer.
Weapons, directed by Barbarian’s Zach Cregger, is set to be released on August 8, and it already has horror fans chomping at the bit.
Very little is known about the film, with the release of its incredibly eerie first trailer giving little away apart from terrifying imagery that has seen it called ‘the creepiest trailer in years.’
The mystery around the film deepened with the release of a sinister website, Maybrook News, teasing details about 17 local children who all left their homes and disappeared at once.
This evening, a creepy livestream took place in conjunction with the film, with viewers warned they might want to ‘keep the lights on.’
An email sent to Bloody Disgusting read: ‘On June 23, we invite you to visit MaybrookMissing.com for a one-time-only livestream that won’t be explained, only experienced.’
‘What begins as a cryptic broadcast may become something more. There are rumors of an early glimpse. Of footage. Of something that wasn’t meant to be seen yet.
‘We won’t say much. In fact, we’ll say less. But if you’ve been paying attention, you already know that we will have something special. Be ready. Be curious. And maybe keep the lights on.’
In the livestream, for those not brave enough to take it on, unsettling footage showing three unknown figures played on a loop, before the director showcased a new trailer for the upcoming scare-fest.
‘I just want to say how very sorry I am…,’ Justine Gandy – played by Julia Garner – tells devastated parents at a press conference, shown in the teaser.
‘The truth is that I want an answer just as bad as all of you. I love those kids.’
While the parents, led by Josh Brolin, demand answers, a voiceover by a young girl teases that there are a lot of deaths on the way.
‘This is a true story, it happened right here in my town,’ she says.
A lot of people die in a lot of really weird ways in this story, but you’re not going to find it in the news.’
The website itself is a goldmine for those excited to watch the film, with eerie clips of ‘found footage’ relating to the missing children from the film.
A message on the homepage reads: ‘A chilling mystery has gripped the small town of Maybrook after 17 children voluntarily left their homes Wednesday morning. Authorities are baffled by the inexplicable disappearance, which has shaken the community to its core.
‘Upon investigation, front door camera footage showed the children leaving their homes at 2:17am Wednesday morning without any signs of force. Since then, little information has surfaced, and the case continues to baffle investigators.
‘In response, a school gathering was held, where growing unease among parents became clear. As the town struggles to understand what happened, officials continue to urge the public for any leads, while Maybrook is left waiting for answers.’
There is also a hyperlink over the text ‘Underground Prison Found In Rental Home’ which takes browsers to another story about 28-year-old Tess Marshall, who was found ‘injured and disoriented’ outside the ‘Barberry Street property.’
It continues that police went to the property for a simple welfare check, but it soon became ‘a large-scale crime scene’ when a network of hidden tunnels was discovered beneath the home.
How this links to the missing children’s case on the homepage remains to be seen, and it’s all very reminiscent of last year’s viral hit Longlegs, but fans have pointed out the image used next to the hyperlink is from Creggers’ 2022 smash hit Barbarian.
It could mean the films are set in the same universe, and fans don’t have long to find out how this mystery plays out.
Weapons is released in cinemas on August 8.
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