We're now getting toward the end of 2023, but not fading from memory any time soon is the film that proved to be the first big hit of the year. Arriving in theaters domestically on a massive wave of social media-generated buzz, M3GAN was a massive box office hit, making $181 million before the end of its big screen run around the world. To the surprise of nobody, a sequel was given the greenlight shortly after the movie's release, and producer James Wan is teasing that M3GAN 2.0 will deliver a story that is timely and further tapped into what has become a major subject of debate: artificial intelligence.
Wan is currently preparing audiences for the release of his latest directorial effort, Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom, but he recently provided Empire Magazine (via Comic Book) with an update on the developing M3GAN sequel. The movie is more than a year from its scheduled release date, with Universal Pictures having put it on the calendar for early 2025, but he noted that the project is putting a specific focus on societal concerns about A.I. Said the filmmaker,
It's early yet, but M3GAN is coming back in a big way. The first film came just at the right time [when concerns about AI were mounting], and we're definitely leaning into that on the next one. We're exploring the AI universe even further.
SPOILER WARNING: The rest of this article contains spoilers for M3GAN. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!
James Wan's comments certainly line up with the franchise direction that is teased at the end of M3GAN. For those who don't recall, the film concludes with the titular doll being destroyed, but the final shot teases the possibility that her coding may live on in the virtual assistant known as Elise. She can likely do some serious damage now that she is not limited to a physical form... though it's hard to imagine that we won't see M3GAN back as the familiar killer doll we fell in love with back in January.
M3GAN 2.0 is being produced by both James Wan and Jason Blum, two of the most influential names in modern horror, and Akela Cooper, who wrote M3GAN, is back to write the sequel. Allison Williams and Violet McGraw are expected to return as Gemma and her niece Cady, but a director has not yet been announced.
Jason Blum has previously said that the production of M3GAN 2.0 is not being rushed, and filming isn't going to start until the conclusion of the on-going SAG-AFTRA strike. That being said, if the movie is going to be ready in time for the scheduled January 17, 2025 release date, cameras will likely need to start rolling in the first half of next year.
Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about M3GAN 2.0, and learn about all of the scary features set for release in the coming weeks and months with our Upcoming Horror Movies guide.
