The unique thriller M3GAN introduced a new horror movie microgenre: the technological-satire-high-camp-dark-comedy. The result was difficult to describe, but it was a smash success that raked in over 10 times its budget at the box office. Now, the long-promised sequel is coming together, and a new group of casting announcements suggests the series will be doubling down on its best asset.
M3GAN 2.0 was announced in early 2023 and slated for a January 2025 release before being delayed to May 16, 2025. Original writer and director Akela Cooper and Gerard Johnstone will return, as will Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole and Jen Van Epps as Tess.
M3GAN seemed to end with the eponymous android destroyed, but her spirit lived on in a home assistant device. Now, however, it looks like the sequel may build on or pivot away from the plot of the first movie, as Deadline has reported three new additions to the cast: Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ Timm Sharp, Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement, and Saturday Night Live’s Aristotle Athari.
But M3GAN 2.0 isn’t the only product in this line. Blumhouse Productions and James Wan’s Atomic Monster have started developing Soulm8te, an erotic thriller set in the same universe as M3GAN. Soulm8te follows a grieving man who uses an android replica to replace his late wife, only to slowly realize that the robot may have evil intentions.
While the spinoff seems far more serious, M3GAN 2.0 seems like it’s doubling down on the comedy: all three of the new cast members have a history with comedy (Athari is even well-known for his robot impression). So while the world of M3GAN may be expanding, the goofy heart and soul of the movie that launched a creepy TikTok dance meme will remain, while those looking for something a bit darker and more sophisticated can watch the spinoff. Truly, evil robots offer something for everyone.
