Pedro Pascal was initially cast in Zach Cregger's upcoming horror film, Weapons, but had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts arising from production delays. The delays were a result of the 2023 WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, which impacted the schedules of many actors.

Cregger revealed that Pascal's departure caused significant upheaval, forcing him to recast almost the entire movie. Pascal was originally slated to play Archer, the father of a missing child. Josh Brolin eventually took over the role of Archer Graff.

Cregger told Entertainment Weekly, "I had a whole different cast for this movie. And then we had the strike, and then Pedro Pascal's schedule threw us into turmoil. I had to recast the entire movie". He added, "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".

Weapons is a mystery horror film written, directed, and produced by Zach Cregger. The film centers on the mysterious disappearance of seventeen children from the same classroom who vanish in the middle of the night. The cast includes Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.

The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on August 8, 2025, by Warner Bros. Pictures. Weapons is described as creatively ambitious, fun, scary, and inviting, but with a story that is "really f***ed up".

Despite the challenges of recasting, Cregger seems pleased with the final cast. Besides Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich plays a local cop named Paul, and Julia Garner plays an elementary school teacher, Ms. Justine Gandy. Austin Abrams was the only original cast member to remain with the project and plays a drug-addicted homeless man.

Cregger's creative team includes director of photography Larkin Seiple, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Joe Murphy, and costume designer Trish Sommerville. The music is by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay, and Zach Cregger.

Early reviews for Weapons have been positive. As of August 6, 2025, the film has a 100% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.