M3GAN 2.0’s horror-turned-action experiment has malfunctioned worse than any android, demonstrating precisely why studios should content the urge to transform beloved genre properties into mainstream blockbusters without proper foundation.
The Blumhouse sequel’s catastrophic $10.2 million domestic opening weekend registered an embarrassing 66% decline from the original, effectively scaring off its shot at becoming a lucrative franchise. I, for one, deem the executives utterly misjudged fans’ expectations! Scroll to read why.
M3GAN Wanted Terminator’s Glory And Overestimated Its Popularity
Where the original M3GAN succeeded by adhering to horror and slasher conventions and satisfying its core demographic, the sequel abandoned everything that made the property succeed, pursuing a progressive approach to personify its android and empower its “female” villain.
This progression strategy, deliberately, yet in a fundamentally misguided manner, aimed to capitalize on the success of Terminator 2: Judgement Day. In 1991, the James Cameron–Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner grossed a worldwide total of $517 million (per Box Office Mojo), successfully translating the redemption of its killer cyborg into humanity’s protector.
As M3GAN 2.0 reoriented the original’s course to this very route, the circumstances surrounding each sequel’s production couldn’t be more different. Not only was the inaugural Terminator not a full-fledged horror flick, but the studio even deliberately spoiled the twist that Schwarzenegger would be the protector rather than the antagonist, recognizing that audiences wanted to see the hitherto legendary character save the day.
The titular doll, on the other hand, lacks such mass recognizability. As a ramification, the horror audience behind the original’s box office revenue had no desire to witness their new “Chucky” become a protector.
M3GAN 2.0’s failure stems from a complete rejection of the inaugural movie’s core identity on the writers’ part. Creator and executive Jason Blum admitted to overthinking changes, implying they had attempted to fix what wasn’t broken. The sequel’s decision to position M3GAN as an action hero while adding Barbie’s pink aesthetics and contemporary social messaging alienated the horror community that had promulgated the imperative word-of-mouth to casual audiences.
This approach also mirrors Joker: Folie à Deux‘s fatal error of performing a 180° on a grounded character study into a musical where he no longer incites commotion but regrets his actions. Abandoning the elements that resonated with audiences, both sequels suffered from studios’ needless contrivance to broaden their appeal and permeate political messages.
The last nail in the coffin was timing as unlike the original’s box office reign in winter, M3GAN 2.0 tried to camouflage as a summer blockbuster only for competitors like Jurassic World: Rebirth and F1 to eviscerate its reputation alongside its core identity.
Box Office Analysis (Worldwide):
M3GAN ($180 Million) vs M3GAN 2.0 ($22 Million)
Joker ($1.078 Billion) vs Joker: Folie à Deux ($207 Million)
The Terminator ($78 Million) vs Terminator 2: Judgement Day ($517 Million)
What’s Next For The M3GAN Franchise
M3GAN’s future appears precarious following this spectacular misfire. The studio had planned a cinematic universe with multiple spinoffs, but those ambitions now seem premature, and more thought should be put into rehabilitation.
The spinoff film SOULM8TE is scheduled for release within six months, potentially representing the franchise’s last hope for redemption. However, its connection to the M3GAN brand may prove more liability than asset following the sequel’s rejection, as it might need to distance itself from M3GAN 2.0’s mistakes while still capitalizing on the original’s goodwill.
The M3GAN Universe will be expanding next year with spinoff movie SOULM8TE, which will now release in theaters on January 9, 2026.
The film is being billed as a ’90s-style erotic thriller with a “new technological twist.” pic.twitter.com/swVPhK5h7p
