Biggest Proof ‘M3GAN 2.0’ Film Could Break the Sequel Curse After 2023 Blockbuster Traumatized Fans

Directed by Gerard Johnstone, M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) is a science fiction horror movie based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan. Actress Amie Donald physically portrays M3GAN while Jenna Davis voices the character. The movie follows an AI companion who develops human emotions and would do anything to protect her owner and best friend, Cady.

Upon release, the movie not only received positive comments from audiences and critics; it also went on to gross over $181 million worldwide against a budget of $12 million. Critics praised the blend of horror and humor in the movie, and it broke the record for the PG-13 horror film, which was held by 2020’s A Quiet Place Part II, and became a pop-culture phenomenon. M3GAN is set to return.

First look at M3GAN 2.0 revealed, and it’s scarier than before

At the end of the original movie, M3GAN, which received an overwhelming response from critics and the audience, it was clear that Blumhouse was looking forward to continuing the franchise.

Now, Entertainment Weekly has shared the first look of M3GAN 2.0, in which the doll is wearing a blue coat and has perfectly styled hair. Her eyes look even bigger, and judging by her expression, she seems to be plotting something evil.

The director, Gerard Johnstone, recently spoke to EW, where he assured that the doll is going to appear more real than she is. He said,

She’s a living doll, and part of the fun of having a doll is being able to play dress-up. We had a couple of looks in the first film, but I wanted 10 different looks for M3GAN. For the sequel, I felt like here’s a chance to do that.

Talking about the sequel, Johnstone shared with the publication that they had a different idea for the ending of the original movie, which would have been interesting but probably not as satisfying. He added that a good thing about doing a sequel is that he gets a chance to expand on his previous ideas into a longer narrative.

According to the publication, the team had gathered to understand and point out what worked the best with M3GAN, and Allison Williams, who plays Gemma, shared:

The answer is, it’s really hard because the fan service thing is so tempting. It’s so tempting to deliver on what aspect of it was the stickiest the first time around and just pummel it into the ground the second time.

Johnstone mentioned that it was very important for them to work on a sequel. This also gives hope to the studios that it might not just be a mere sequel, but would open the doors to a full franchise.

Filmmaker Gerard Johnstone addresses M3GAN’s success

During the interview with EW, Johnstone addressed the sudden popularity and attention his A.I. doll had acquired on TikTok. He mentioned that the movie was about the dangers of technology and kids being on their iPads, and then M3GAN was blowing up on TikTok.

The A.I. doll reportedly blew up as a pop culture icon within the queer community. Saturday Night Live featured a sketch of her where Bowen Yang dressed up as an A.I. doll. Williams addressed;

Every single moment where the culture was embracing M3GAN just helped reinforce that this oddly toned horror movie with a lot of humor and self-awareness from this Kiwi director was on the right track.

The filmmaker did not provide any more information on the sequel, but noted that it is very ambitious, and it felt like the story should be bigger and increased in scale and scope. They noted to Universal Pictures that there are so many stories to be told where A.I. is so prevalent.

Where the plot details are sealed, fans seem to be excited to see what the makers have in store for them. Also, it’ll be interesting to see if M3GAN 2.0 can break the sequel curse, and the filmmaker surely does make it seem like it can.

M3GAN 2.0 is scheduled for release on June 27, 2025.