M3GAN 2.0 Release Date, Cast, Writer, And More Info
One of the biggest horror hits in recent memory (and one of the biggest original hits of any kind for that matter) was "M3GAN." Produced by modern horror master James Wan and directed by Gerard Johnstone ("Housebound"), the film about an AI caregiver gone wrong captivated audiences in 2023, becoming the year's first bonafide blockbuster hit. Naturally, that means a sequel is on the way. Get ready for "M3GAN 2.0."
Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions were quick to give the green light to a follow-up after the first movie had a massive opening weekend at the box office en route to a $181 million worldwide total. Not bad for a movie made with a mere $12 million budget. As is almost always the case in horror, a franchise has now been born. With development currently underway, we're here to give you all the details you need to know about the sequel. Here is everything we know about "M3GAN 2.0" so you can be ready when it dances into theaters.
When does M3GAN 2.0 premiere?
"M3GAN 2.0" is currently set to hit theaters from Universal Pictures on January 17, 2025. That January window was extremely effective for the first film, and it looks like the studio is trying to emulate that success with the sequel. Like the original, it's expected that the movie will be released exclusively in theaters at first. It will eventually come to VOD and, at a later date, Peacock, but those dates will be announced after the film's theatrical rollout.
The first M3GAN ended on a big cliffhanger
The first film ended on a bit of a cliffhanger that will help set the stage for the sequel. For those who may need a refresher, "M3GAN" ends with Gemma (Allison Williams) and Cady (Violet McGraw) having a final showdown with the murderous AI robot. With the help of Gemma's robot Bruce, they eventually defeat M3GAN by seemingly destroying the processing chip in her head. However, like most horror movies, there is a little tease that something more may be on the way and that evil has not yet thoroughly been defeated.
Following the confrontation, Gemma and Cady leave the house to greet the police who are arriving on the scene, wanting to put the whole ordeal behind them. After they leave, Gemma's home AI device turns itself on, and the camera points itself toward them. This seems to suggest that something sinister is still lurking. Maybe a stray big of M3GAN's programming? It's just enough to let us know that all is not well, even if Gemma and Cady are blissfully unaware. For now.
M3GAN 2.0 won't be rushed
Even though the studio has every reason to make a sequel to "M3GAN," they have no intention of rushing the process. Blumhouse head Jason Blum spoke to Empire shortly after the first film's release, and explained that producer James Wan, the man behind The Conjuring Universe, "had about seven different ideas of what the sequel could be." But Blum also cautioned that they know rushing it would lead to compromise.
"The creative process suffers when you [rush]. You pretend you're not making compromises, but you always do. So I wanted to give us enough time to make the movie great, and we have that now. And we have the whole team coming back, we're not having to hire a writer or director — all those people are in place."
Director Gerard Johnstone also explained that they won't try to force meme-worthy moments, such as M3GAN dancing in the first film. "I think if you do that, you are kind of setting yourself up to fail, and the audience will smell that a mile away," Johnstone said speaking to /Film earlier this year. "How can we continue to be fun, absurd, surprising, but at the same time make sure that we continue to be part of the cultural conversation," the director added while also saying that it's "important to have some substance to hang all of those dance sequences onto."
M3GAN 2.0 cast
Allison Williams has been confirmed to return as Gemma in the sequel, with Violet McGraw also returning as Cady. No other cast members from the first film have been confirmed to return as of this writing. Though it would seem likely that Jenna Davis will return as the voice of M3GAN. There will also surely be plenty of new cast members for the AI nightmares that await to dispatch. If we're lucky, Jen Van Epps will return as Tess and Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole, who both survived the carnage of the last film.
Who is writing and producing M3GAN 2.0?
Akela Cooper is set to write the screenplay for the sequel, and Gerard Johnstone is confirmed to return to directing duties. Cooper penned the original alongside James Wan. She's also written other recent horror films such as "Malignant" and "The Nun II." So she's quickly becoming a key voice in modern horror. Jason Blum, Wan, and Allison Williams are on board as producers. Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Ryan Turek, Mark Katchur, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath are set to serve as executive producers.