M3GAN is a 2022 American science fiction horror film directed by Gerard Johnstone, written by Akela Cooper from a story by Cooper and James Wan (who also produced with Jason Blum), and starring Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, with Amie Donald physically portraying M3GAN and Jenna Davis voicing the character. Its plot follows the eponymous artificially intelligent doll who develops self-awareness and becomes hostile towards anyone who comes between her and her human companion.
M3GAN premiered in Los Angeles on December 7, 2022, and was released in the United States on December 29, 2022, by Universal Pictures. The film was a commercial and critical success, grossing over $165 million worldwide against a budget of $12 million and receiving praise from critics for its campy blend of horror and humor, satirical elements, and performances.
A sequel, titled M3GAN 2.0 is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2025, with Williams and McGraw reprising their roles and Cooper returning to write the script.
Plot[]
A young girl named Cady, as well as her mother and father, are involved in a car accident. Cady's parents are killed in the accident, leaving Cady an orphan. Cady is sent to live with her aunt Gemma, a roboticist at the high-tech Seattle toy company Funki. Gemma is covertly using the company's resources to develop M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android), a life-sized humanoid robot doll powered by artificial intelligence, designed to be the ultimate companion to any child it is paired with. After a faulty test occurs with M3GAN in their lab, Gemma's boss David discovers the project and orders her to discontinue work on it.
Gemma and Cady struggle to adapt to their new living situation, as Gemma is a workaholic by nature and does not have the time to bond with Cady. When Cady discovers Bruce, a motion capture robot that Gemma created, she expresses a wish for a similar toy, which propels Gemma to complete the M3GAN project. The finished model is formally paired with Cady, and David becomes convinced of the project's potential for success after observing the pair. M3GAN exceeds expectations as a friend and largely takes over for parenthood duties and emotional support, to the point that Gemma's colleagues, and Cady's therapist Lydia, become concerned about Cady creating a worrisome emotional attachment to M3GAN. In addition, being designed to self-improve and adapt, M3GAN starts operating more independently and targets anything that she deems a threat to Cady. She kills Gemma's neighbor Celia's dog after it attacks her and bites Cady. Later, she tears off the ear of Cady's bully Brandon and chases him before he trips and falls in the path of an oncoming car, which fatally runs him over.
After Celia blames Gemma for her missing dog, M3GAN shoots Celia with a nail gun before killing her with insecticide. Gemma becomes suspicious of M3GAN and attempts to check her video logs, only to find the files erased or corrupted. Gemma turns M3GAN off and takes her back to the lab where she and her colleagues, Tess and Cole, attempt to fix her. Cady has a strong emotional reaction to being separated from M3GAN and slaps Gemma. Gemma tries to apologize for her absence as a parent and tells Cady that M3GAN is a distraction from coping with the loss of her parents, not a solution.
While M3GAN wins over Funki's investors and convinces them to release a worldwide campaign in advance of her release, Gemma, Tess and Cole decide to try to terminate M3GAN due to her volatile and violent tendencies. Tess and Cole attempt to shut down M3GAN while Gemma takes Cady home, but M3GAN uses a chain to hang Cole. While Tess frees Cole, M3GAN causes an explosion in their lab and then shuts off the alarm. On her way out of the building, M3GAN kills David and his assistant Kurt with the blade of a paper cutter in an elevator, staging it as a murder–suicide. She then steals a sportscar and drives back to Gemma's house.
M3GAN confronts Gemma, adamant about taking over as Cady's sole parental figure. Gemma attempts to shut M3GAN down again, disfiguring her in the process, but M3GAN overpowers her and threatens to rip her head off. Watching the fight unfold, a horrified Cady uses Bruce to tear M3GAN apart. M3GAN's top half remains active, and she attacks Cady for the betrayal. Gemma exposes a processing chip in M3GAN's head, which Cady stabs with a screwdriver, seemingly destroying M3GAN. Gemma and Cady go outside as the police arrive with Tess and Cole, but as they leave the house, a camera turns on by itself and looks towards them.
Cast[]
Allison Williams plays Gemma
- Allison Williams as Gemma[4]
- Violet McGraw as Cady[4]
- Ronny Chieng as David[4]
- Amie Donald as M3GAN[4]
- Jenna Davis as M3GAN (voice)[4]
- Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole[4]
- Jen Van Epps as Tess[4]
- Stephane Garneau-Monten as Kurt[4]
- Lori Dungey as Celia[4]
- Amy Usherwood as Lydia[4]
- Jack Cassidy as Brandon[4]
- Michael Saccente as Greg
- Samson Chan-Boon as Officer Carter
- Kira Josephson as Ava[4]
- Renee Lyons as Holly
- Arlo Green as Ryan[4]
Production[]
Development and writing[]
The idea of the film began when Wan's Atomic Monster Productions was brainstorming story ideas and chose one about a killer doll. Although Wan's 2014 film Annabelle is about a killer doll, he said, "Pretty much the concept is about embracing technology too much and relying too much on it. And what happens when technology runs amok. It's a commentary on the world we live in and it feels relevant". Blum stated that the film would have black comedy elements which is one reason Johnstone was chosen to direct, saying "We needed someone who can do the thrills and set pieces, but who also has a cheeky approach". Wan admired Johnstone's film Housebound because of his ability to balance the horror and comedy elements by creating a tone that is both frightening and humorous, and this sensibility was essential for M3GAN.[5]
In July 2018, The Hollywood Reporter announced that production was underway for a "techno horror-thriller" titled M3GAN to be produced by James Wan and Jason Blum. Gerard Johnstone was confirmed to direct while Akela Cooper wrote the screenplay and story, with Wan. Shooting was scheduled to begin in late 2018.[6]
Filming[]
On a budget of $12 million,[7] principal photography began in June 2021 taking place in Los Angeles, California, and Auckland, New Zealand.[5][8] The suburbs of Auckland were utilized to lend the film a "Denver, Colorado, type feel".[9] Filming was completed by mid-August right before a COVID-19 lockdown occurred in New Zealand.[10] The film underwent reshoots in post-production in order to secure a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association, after the original cut was deemed too violent.[11]
Special effects[]
Adrien Morot and Kathy Tse of Morot FX Studio created an animatronic puppet version of M3GAN that was used for dialogue and close-ups. There was also a second animatronic used for certain scenes, as well as a possible stunt version of M3GAN that was not puppeteered. The animatronic M3GAN was puppeteered via a variety of techniques, which included radio-controlled facial expressions performed by Morot and Tse in tandem, automated lip-sync for the dialogue (temp guide tracks were provided during filming by New Zealand actress Kimberley Crossman) and a puppeteer physically moving M3GAN's head and body.[12][13]
Amie Donald performed M3GAN's scenes that called for physical movement the puppet could not do, and also performed her own stunts. Donald received movement coaching from Jed Brophy and Luke Hawker in portraying M3GAN's agility.[14] On set Donald wore a static silicone M3GAN mask created by Morot FX and this was later replaced by a CGI version of M3GAN's face to match that of the animatronic.[12][13]
In post-production, Donald's physical performance as M3GAN was enhanced by digital visual effects by the New Zealand-based effects studio Wētā Workshop.[15] Speaking about the design of M3GAN, Johnstone stated that he "looked to screen icons from the '50s like Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Kim Novak for inspiration. But I wanted some '70s naturalism to counteract her synthetic nature, so the hair is one hundred percent Peggy Lipton."[16]
Release[]
M3GAN had its world premiere in Los Angeles on December 7, 2022,[17] before expanding to a wide theatrical release in the United States on January 6, 2023.[18] It was originally scheduled to be released on January 13, 2023, before being moved up a week in order to avoid competition with House Party and the wide expansion of A Man Called Otto, which were also scheduled for January 13.[19]
Marketing[]
The teaser poster for the film was unveiled at the 2022 CinemaCon. The first trailer was released on October 11, 2022, set to Taylor Swift's "It's Nice to Have a Friend". After its premiere, a clip of M3GAN dancing gained widespread attention on social media platforms like TikTok. The viral moment helped to build buzz for the film's release.[20][21][5] The second and final trailer was released on December 7, 2022, set to Bella Poarch's "Dolls". In the final film, M3GAN dances to "Walk the Night" by Skatt Brothers.[22] On January 8, 2023, Williams revealed that she and the marketing team at Universal had debated whether to include the scene in the trailer or save it for when audiences saw the film in theaters. She told The Hollywood Reporter, "When we saw the first cut of the trailer, we were all hemming and hawing about whether or not to let the dance be out in the trailer or try to keep it as a surprise in the movie ... And boy, the forces of marketing at Universal were right to keep it in the trailer, because it just helped, honestly."[23]
Reception[]
Box office[]
As of February 13, 2023[update], M3GAN has grossed $91.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $74.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide gross of $165.9 million.[2][3]
In the United States and Canada, M3GAN was initially projected to gross $17–20 million from 3,509 theaters in its opening weekend.[24] After making $11.7 million on its first day (including $2.75 million from Thursday night previews), estimates were increased to $27.5 million.[25] It went on to debut to $30.4 million, finishing in second place at the box office behind holdover Avatar: The Way of Water.[26] The film made $18.3 million in its second weekend, remaining in second.[27] In its third and fourth weekends the film made $9.7 million and $6.4 million, finishing in third and fourth place, respectively.[28][29]
Critical response[]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 293 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills."[30] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[31] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled at PostTrak gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.[32]
Variety's Owen Gleiberman called M3GAN "a diverting genre film, one that possesses a healthy sense of its own absurdity", and wrote that the film satirizes "all of us — or, at least, those who now think of the mirror offered by artificial intelligence as an actual form of interaction."[33] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter commended the physical and voice performances of Donald and Davis, respectively, as well as the visual effects work used to depict M3GAN; Rooney wrote that the film's "shocks and scares and even the cautionary notes are not lessened by the enjoyable vein of campy humor."[15] The Independent's Clarisse Loughrey gave the film a score of four out of five stars, writing that "Under the canny, high-spirited direction of Gerard Johnstone, [...] it's incisive, sardonic, and totally mean-spirited. A perfect mix. Maybe it's not as shocking as Malignant, but it feels exactly like watching Mean Girls's queen bee Regina George if someone had given her a knife and a death wish."[34]
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the film three out of five stars, calling it a "cheekily enjoyable chiller" and writing: "Derivative though M3GAN undoubtedly is, [...] there are some adroit satirical touches about dolls as toxic aspirational templates, dolls as parodies of intimacy and sensitivity and tech itself as sinister child-pacification, with kids given iPads the way Victorian children were given alcoholic gripe water."[35] Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting similarly praised the effects and performance work involved in depicting M3GAN, and complimented the film's humor, but called the trajectory of the narrative "well-telegraphed" and added, "Save for a few jump scares, there's an overt restraint with the horror. The PG-13 rating also dampens what kills we do get. Those looking for the unexpected likely won't find it here, though that doesn't make it any less fun."[36] USA Today's Brian Truitt gave the film three out of four stars, also lauding its effects and satirical elements.[37] A.A. Dowd of Chron.com noted the presence of "some real ideas trickling through the film's B-movie code", and wrote that, "if the film is rarely very frightening (the kill scenes [...] lack both suspense and true holy-shit grisliness), it often works like gangbusters as an over-the-top horror comedy whose fun rests on a toy box full of priceless leering-doll reaction shots and cutting remarks."[38]
The New York Times' Jason Zinoman noted the film as featuring "some absurd dialogue" and a "by-the-book conclusion", but commended its tone and wrote that Johnstone "doesn't go for elaborate suspense sequences or truly intense scares. He wants to please, not rattle. And while there are some hints at social commentary on how modern mothers and fathers use technology to outsource parenting, this movie is smart enough to never take itself too seriously."[39] Tyler Doupe of Dread Central gave the film three out of five stars, lamenting its horror elements as lacking and its human characters as "somewhat two-dimensional", but writing that its comedic elements, "combined with the eventual build to an exciting conclusion, made the film worth my time."[40] Randy Myers of The Mercury News gave the film two out of four stars, writing that it "stocks up on jump scares and keeps the violence PG-13, but fails to make us care about any of the humans in the path of M3GAN."[41]
M3GAN has been described as a gay icon or a queer icon. Erik Piepenburg of The New York Times described M3GAN as being "the gorgeous and loyal but messy and insolent [women]", the type of women gay men are protective of.[42] Jack King of GQ described M3GAN as being "factory made" as a queer icon, such as the use of gay-friendly terminology on Twitter.[43] Screenwriter Akela Cooper, in an interview with SFX Magazine, attributed the gay icon status to the "found family" motif of the film,[44] though Asyia Iftikhar of PinkNews attributed it to M3GAN's campness.[45]
Sequel[]
In November 2022, The New York Times reported that Universal was pleased by how the film turned out and is planning to make a sequel.[46] In January 2023, Johnstone confirmed talks of a sequel, with Wan explaining that he has an "idea of where sequels would go".[47][48] A few weeks later, Universal set a release date of January 17, 2025, with the title revealed as M3GAN 2.0. The film will be written by Cooper with Williams and McGraw returning as Gemma and Cady, respectively.[49] Johnstone is in talks to return to direct.[50]
References[]
- ↑ M3gan (15).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Template:Cite Box Office Mojo
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Template:Cite The Numbers
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Cremona, Patrick (January 11, 2023). M3GAN cast: Meet the stars of new robot doll horror film. Radio Times.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 8, 2023). How 'M3GAN' Boogied Her Way To The Box Office Via TikTok; Sequel Already In Works.
- ↑ Kit, Borys (July 18, 2018). Jason Blum, James Wan Team for Horror-Thriller 'M3GAN' (Exclusive).
- ↑ Rubin, Rebecca (January 4, 2023). Box Office: 'M3gan'Aims for Impressive $20 Million Debut, but 'Avatar 2' Will Rule Again.
- ↑ M3gan – Production List | Film & Television Industry Alliance (June 2021).
- ↑ Evans, Chris (September 16, 2019). Exclusive: Blumhouse to film MEG3N in New Zealand.
- ↑ Frater, Patrick (August 17, 2021). New Zealand Returns to Full Lockdown After Discovery of Local COVID Case.
- ↑ Romanchick, Shane (January 2, 2023). 'M3GAN' Required Reshoots for that PG-13 Rating.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Stephan, Katcy (January 9, 2023). Building M3GAN: How Animatronics, Puppetry, VFX and a Child Actor Created a New Doll Icon That Slays.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Yamato, Jim (January 7, 2023). Puppets, fake tears, an 11-year-old dance phenom: How 'M3GAN' came to life.
- ↑ Kiwi dancer's moves go viral in new horror movie trailer (October 11, 2023).
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Rooney, David (January 4, 2023). 'M3GAN' Review: Allison Williams Tangles With a Rogue Robot in Fun AI Horror That's Equal Parts Campy and Creepy.
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Gardner, Chris (December 8, 2022). 'M3GAN' Premiere Featured Eight Look-Alike Dolls Dancing to Taylor Swift Song in Now-Viral Moment.
- ↑ Mendelson, Scott (19 October 2022). Universal Shifts 'M3GAN' Up To First Week In 2023.
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Grebey, James (January 5, 2023). The story behind M3GAN's iconic TikTok dance sequence.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 8, 2023). 'M3GAN' Slays With $30M+ Opening; 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Hits Half Billion Faster Than 'Top Gun 2', 'Rogue One' – Sunday AM Box Office Update.
- ↑ Daly, Rhian (January 12, 2023). The Skatt Bros' 'Walk The Night' Soundtracks Hit New Horror Movie 'M3GAN'. Universal Music Group.
- ↑ Davids, Brian (January 6, 2023). 'M3GAN' Star Allison Williams Talks Her Blumhouse Good Fortune and the Internal Debate Over M3GAN's Viral Dance.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 6, 2023). 'M3GAN' Makes $2.75M In Thursday Previews – Box Office.
- ↑ Moreau, Jordan (January 6, 2023). Box Office: 'M3GAN' Earns $2.75 Million in Previews.
- ↑ Sam Mendelsohn (January 12, 2023). 'Avatar: The Way of Water' To Rule MLK Weekend; 'Plane' & 'House Party' Open While Hanks' 'A Man Called Otto' Expands.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 13, 2023). 'Avatar 2' Rules With $35M 4-day, 'M3GAN' Moves $20M+, 'Man Called Otto' A Bright Spot For Adult Pics – MLK Weekend Box Office.
- ↑ Domestic 2023 Weekend 3.
- ↑ 'Avatar 2' Now No. 11 Among Top-Grossing US Pics Of All-Time, Bests 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' – Box Office Sunday (January 29, 2023).
- ↑ M3GAN (2022).
- ↑ M3GAN (2022) Reviews.
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 8, 2023). 'M3GAN' Slays With $30M+ Opening; 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Hits Half Billion Faster Than 'Top Gun 2', 'Rogue One – Sunday AM Box Office Update.
- ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (January 4, 2023). 'M3GAN' Review: A Robot-Doll Sci-Fi Horror Movie That's Creepy, Preposterous and Diverting.
- ↑ Loughrey, Clarisse (January 4, 2023). M3GAN review: The memes haven't oversold this smart, mean and gleefully absurd killer doll thriller.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (January 4, 2023). M3gan review – girlbot horror offers entertaining spin on teenage growing pains.
- ↑ Navarro, Meagan (January 5, 2023). 'M3GAN' Review – Blumhouse's Slick New Killer Doll Aims to Entertain.
- ↑ Truitt, Brian (January 5, 2023). 'M3GAN' review: You'll love the mean-girl robot in this darkly funny, cautionary tale.
- ↑ Dowd, A.A. (January 5, 2023). 'M3gan' gives January horror a wicked upgrade.
- ↑ Zinoman, Jason (January 5, 2023). 'M3gan' Review: Wherever I Go, She Goes.
- ↑ Doupe, Tyler (January 5, 2023). 'M3GAN' is a Mixed Bag that Delivers in the End [Review].
- ↑ Myers, Randy (January 5, 2023). What to watch: 'M3GAN' wants to be more than another creepy doll story.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Piepenburg, Erik (January 19, 2023). "A Doll That Wears Sunglasses With Attitude? Oh, 'M3gan' Is a Gay Movie". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."M3GAN was factory made to be an LGBTQ+ cult icon". British GQ. January 11, 2023. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bhattacharyya, Raavya (January 7, 2023). "Why M3GAN's Titular Doll Is Already Being Called a Queer Icon". CBR. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ↑ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Iftikhar, Asyia (January 11, 2023). "M3GAN writer tried and failed to explain why the killer doll is such a gay icon". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ↑ Barnes, Brooks (2022-11-16). Hollywood Horror Blockbuster: Two Leading Producers Will Soon Join Forces.
- ↑ Jones, Tamera (5 January 2023). James Wan Already Knows Where a 'M3GAN' Sequel Could Potentially Go.
- ↑ Tinoco, Armando (2023-01-09). 'M3GAN' Screenwriter Says Original Script "Was Way Gorier" & Unrated Version "Is On The Books".
- ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2023-01-18). 'M3GAN 2.0' To Happen In 2025.
- ↑ Martin, Richard (January 18, 2023). M3GAN director Gerard Johnstone on sequels, shooting in New Zealand.
External links[]
- Official website
- M3GAN at IMDbLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 36: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- M3GAN at MetacriticLua error in Module:EditAtWikidata at line 36: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Template:Rotten Tomatoes
| v - e - dJames Wan | |
|---|---|
| Films directed | Saw (2004) • Dead Silence (2007) • Death Sentence (2007) • Insidious (2010) • The Conjuring (2013) • Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) • Furious 7 (2015) • The Conjuring 2 (2016) • Aquaman (2018) • Malignant (2021) • Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) |
| Films written | Saw III (2006) • The Nun (2018) • Annabelle Comes Home (2019) • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) • M3GAN (2022) |
| Comics written | Malignant Man (2011) |
| Related articles | Atomic Monster Productions |