> At a Glance
> – Amy Madigan revealed early talks for a Weapons prequel centered on Aunt Gladys
> – The 75-year-old won Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards for the role
> – Fans send her makeup tutorials, paintings-and one odd declaration of Gladys as a “sex icon”
> – Why it matters: A Gladys-led film would spotlight a complex older female lead in a genre that rarely offers such parts
Amy Madigan’s twisted turn as Aunt Gladys in the horror hit Weapons has critics and audiences buzzing-and now the 75-year-old actress says a prequel exploring Gladys’s origins is officially “under discussion.”
Awards-Night Update
Fresh off accepting the Best Supporting Actress trophy at the January 4 Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, Madigan told reporters she’s cautious but excited.
> “Until something’s real, it’s not,” she said, citing decades in the business. “But there has been some discussion about investigating maybe Gladys’ start…and I would love to live back in Zach [Cregger]’s imagination.”
Fan Frenzy
Madigan admitted she’s stunned by the character’s viral popularity.
- Makeup tutorials replicating Gladys’s look
- Fan paintings arriving by mail
- One unsolicited letter declaring Gladys an unlikely “sex icon”
> “I really wasn’t expecting all this,” she told the awards crowd. “You love Gladys. I mean, it’s crazy!”
Industry Reality Check
While grateful for the role, Madigan stressed that strong parts for women remain scarce.
> “Read the percentages,” she urged, noting female representation in film and TV has dropped year-over-year. “Good parts are few and far between… when Weapons came around I just knew I could knock it out of the park.”
Key Takeaways
- A Gladys-centric prequel is in early talks but not green-lit
- Madigan’s win highlights demand for layered older-female characters
- The actress credits passionate fans for keeping Gladys alive online
- Industry data shows women’s on-screen roles still lag behind men’s
Whether the prequel materializes or not, Madigan’s new trophy proves audiences are hungry for more of Aunt Gladys-and the actor is ready to step back into the darkness.
