The M3GAN spin-off SOULM8TE has just been dropped from the January release calendar, and is now no longer set for release. The project, starring Lily Sullivan and David Rysdahl, is directed by Kate Dolan, from a script she co-wrote with Rafael Jordan. Originally, the film had a release date of January 9, but Deadline is reporting that Universal Pictures has now pulled it from the schedule.
SOULM8TE is also being shopped around for any buyers wishing to grab it, and though it was originally part of the M3GAN universe, this may change. The movie followed a similar plot to the killer doll feature, as it told the story of a grieving man who has just lost his wife and has bought a robot to help him cope. SOULM8TE was also described as an erotic thriller, which likely meant that the grieving man became the robot's partner at some point. And we all know what happens when robots don't get their way in the M3GAN universe…
The Future of 'M3GAN' Is Now Uncertain…
'M3GAN 2.0', the killer doll from the first film.
In 2022, a new sci-fi horror film landed in theaters. It was preceded by a genius marketing campaign that saw eerily robotic dancers everywhere in the streets showing off their moves. M3GAN was the newest realistic doll in town, and beneath her seemingly innocent looks, there was an artificially intelligent entity that would do anything to prove her allegiance to a child. Anything.
The $12 million film had an impressive box office performance, grossing over $181 million and paving the way for a franchise. Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions and James Wan of Atomic Monster saw the potential in writer Akela Cooper and director Gerard Johnstone's creation. They gave them the opportunity to make a sequel – one that had to be more ambitious than the first.
M3GAN 2.0 was released in theaters in 2025, and with double the budget of the original, the expectations were high. Unfortunately, toning down the horror element and upping the comedy and action of the narrative sadly didn't work. M3GAN 2.0 made a little more than $39 million, suddenly making SOULM8TE a far riskier project than intended.
However, Blum said back in October that "M3GAN will ride again" and he will find a way to revive the killer doll. SOULM8TE is not canceled outright, and could simply follow its own path, leaving behind its connection to the M3GAN franchise. If it ever sees the light of day, some tweaks could probably be made to make sure the projects are not connected, but it's all speculation at this point.
M3GAN can exist without SOULM8TE, as the fan base was once strong, and all Johnstone has to do is recapture the spirit that made the original a great balance between the many shades of horror. It should be campy, as well as serious enough to make viewers see the real dangers of entrusting your whole existence to a robot that can turn on you. Although this story has been told in the past, M3GAN does have an advantage: the doll can kill you, in various ways, but she's also so darn clever that you can't help but love her when she delivers her bloody punchlines.
