UPDATE: Blumhouse really messed this one up. A sequel to “M3GAN 2.0” should have been a no-brainer hit for them, but now it looks like the film will have a weak $10M opening this weekend. There’s now a very real chance it doesn’t even match the original’s debut weekend ($30M) in total domestic gross.
EARLIER: This isn’t good. “M3GAN 2.0” is now tracking for an opening under $15M. This is quickly shaping up to be a major misfire for both Blumhouse and Universal.
The social media and review embargo for “M3GAN 2.0” has also finally lifted, and reviews aren’t spectacular — 54 on Metacritic and 61% on Rotten Tomatoes. This certainly won’t help drive already reluctant audiences to see it.
Back in 2022, “M3GAN” surprised just about everyone. Blumhouse’s killer AI doll flick turned a $12M budget into a staggering $181 million worldwide haul. It had critics on its side (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), and more importantly, it went viral. You couldn’t scroll for five seconds without bumping into a meme of M3GAN’s deadpan stare or her hallway dance.
Of course, with that kind of success — and considering we’re talking about Blumhouse — a sequel was inevitable. Enter “M3GAN 2.0.” Gerard Johnstone returns to direct. The problem this time around seems to be that the sequel is very different from the original, and goes away from its horror roots.
One test attendee had described it to me as “a total 180 in tone.” Word is, the horror-comedy vibe is out, and in its place is something closer to a full-on action-thriller. M3GAN is still on protection duty, but this time she’s being reimagined as a reluctant anti-hero going up against a far more “human-looking” antagonist with “sinister global intentions.”
Allison Williams is back as Gemma, alongside Violet McGraw, Amie Donald (once again donning the M3GAN suit), and Brian Jordan Alvarez. The film hits theaters this Friday, June 27, 2025, but considering how drastically this sequel is shifting gears, don’t be surprised if audiences walk in expecting more dance memes and get something far different.
The ‘Smile’ franchise has a new director. David Bruckner, who made “The Night House” and the 2022 “Hellraiser” reboot, has been hired to direct “Smile 3” for Paramount.