Is the critical acclaim for “M3GAN” overblown? Maybe, but its box office numbers don’t lie. After pulling in $92 million globally off a $12 million budget, a sequel to the killer doll horror-comedy was inevitable. Now Deadline confirms it’s happening: Universal has January 17, 2025, set as their release date for “M3GAN 2.0.”
Box office numbers aside, there are a couple of reasons why “M3GAN” gets a sequel. First, the Blumhouse and Atomic Monster movie had good word of mouth after a buzzy viral campaign this past Fall. Second, Gerard Johnstone‘s sophomore directing effort also provided moviegoers an alternative to start 2023 with other than James Cameron‘s mega-blockbuster “Avatar: The Way Of Water.” And as sequels go, film culture could do worse than another “M3GAN” film.
More good news for “M3GAN” fans: lots of creative talent from the first film return for the sequel. “Malignant” scribe Akela Cooper will pen the film’s script. Alison Williams and Violet McGraw are also back, with Williams on board again as a producer. The actress served as an executive producer on the 2023 film, and also helped with the film’s promotional campaign. There’s no word yet on if Johnstone returns to direct the sequel, though.
Jason Blum and James Wan co-produce with Williams under their respective banners, Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, as both companies are in final talks to merge. Also on board the executive producing front: Michael Clear and Judson Scott for Atomic Monster, and Ryan Turek for Blumhouse. Some Divide/Conquer people are also on board for the sequel, including Adam Hendricks, Greg Gilreath, and Mark Katchur.
With any luck, “M3GAN 2.0” marks a swerve in film culture for more playful, mid-budget genre mash-ups like its predecessor. Or, at the very least, more scripts from Akela Cooper, who, for genre fans anyways, is nothing short of solid gold. But “M3GAN” fans have nearly two years to wait before the sequel arrives in theaters; plenty of updates on this film before January 2025.