(Updated 01/13/2025)
Ever since he released BARBARIAN in 2022, we've been waiting on the next movie by writer/director (and former comedian) Zach Cregger. And while his next directorial effort is still a ways off — that's called WEAPONS, and it comes out in January 2026 — Cregger does have a new movie coming shortly.
COMPANION is a mysterious sci-fi / horror / thriller from the producing team behind BARBARIAN, led by Cregger and Roy Lee. The premise has only been teased so far, but it seems to involve a little bit of a conflict between a man and the robotic "companion" he keeps around the house. Actually, all the blood in the trailers suggests that the conflict is more major than minor.
The new trailer for will certainly get your attention. Check it out!
What's the Companion Release Date?
Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema will release COMPANION in movie theaters on January 31, 2025.
Watch the Bloody Baffling New Companion Trailer
Note: Reactions to COMPANION stress that it's best to know as little as possible. And while this new trailer above doesn't seem to give too much away, if you want to see what the movie looks like without learning too much, check out the first teaser instead. That said, some of the appeal of COMPANION seems to be knowing just enough about the scenario to appreciate how weird it gets.
And it's a lot of fun to see Sophie Thatcher going to extremes with some of the ideas from the series "Yellowjackets." Thatcher is doing more and more movies, but not enough have given her the chance to go as far over the top as COMPANION does.
What's the Companion Plot?
We'll be vague here to preserve the movie's secrets. Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and her boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid), have a unique relationship thanks to Iris's nature. Josh sets up a remote weekend getaway for the two of them and four other friends. But Josh isn't being entirely honest about his motivations, and soon things get very, very messy.
The movie has more than an undercurrent of skepticism about the heavy-handed influence of the tech industry and some of the figures that run it, Think of COMPANION like a popcorn movie, er, companion to a film like EX MACHINA.
Who's in the Cast of Companion?
With Sophie Thatcher (HERETIC, "Yellowjackets") as Iris and Jack Quaid (SCREAM, OPPENHEIMER) as Josh, the movie has an exceptionally strong duo to build on. With the journey to the weekend getaway, we meet Rupert Friend (ASTEROID CITY, "Homeland") as Sergey and Megan Suri (MISSING, "Never Have I Ever") as Kat, who also happens to be Josh's ex. There's also Harvey Guillén ("What We Do in the Shadows") as Eli and Lukas Gage (SMILE 2) as his own companion, Patrick.
COMPANION opens on January 31.
All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.