10 Questions for M3GAN 2.0

What is M3GAN 2.0?

M3GAN 2.0 is a sequel to the 2023 surprise horror-comedy hit, M3GAN. Director Gerard Johnstone returns, this time penning the script himself (from a story by him and original M3GAN screenwriter Akela Cooper). Allison Williams is back as tech genius but people-clueless Gemma, and murderous robot doll M3GAN is once again the product of Amie Donald’s physical performance, VFX, and Jenna Davis’s voice. Violet McGraw also returns as Gemma’s tragic niece, Cady.

How do you think “M3GAN” is pronounced?

It SHOULD be pronounced “Em-THREE-gan”, but everyone just says “Megan” because sci-fi movies choose the weirdest times to be normal.

What is M3GAN 2.0 about?

It’s about murder dolls doing murder. It’s also about AI, ethics, and parenthood. 

The murder doll movie is about ethics in tech?

For a movie that riffs on action movies like Robocop, Terminator, and Kill Bill, and is as invested in camp as it is good fight scenes, M3GAN 2.0 is surprisingly slick about tech ethics. Granted, tech ethicists are portrayed as annoying scolds—at best—but the film has a decent framework around the obligation of creators to their creations, and the need for solid regulatory boundaries around emerging tech. Gemma actually learns lessons from her mistakes in the first film and attempts to prevent duplicating them in this film. A sequel in which characters mature and grow based on previous events? Be still my heart! 

Doesn’t this movie feature a killer lady robot?

Yes, Ivanna Sakhno is GREAT as AMELIA, a next-gen murderbot based on M3GAN’s original design. M3GAN 2.0 finally gives us the lady Terminator the Terminator franchise never got right. AMELIA is an uncanny and unstoppable killing machine that actually makes a mullet look cool. Between her hot mullet, her expressionless face, her robotic voice and lack of emotions, and her Daft Punk getup, AMELIA will inspire a generation to say “This better not awaken anything in me”. And when that generation grows up and f-cks their robot nanny, we’ll know who to blame. 

Graphic!

The people behind M3GAN deliberately and with malice aforethought toe the sex doll line in their character design. 

Anyway, what is M3GAN up to in this film?

EmTHREEgan has also been engaging in some personal growth, and literal growth, as she is reconfigured as a taller doll to match the now teenaged Violet McGraw. Because we’re in sequel territory and it’s boring to repeat the first film, she is now more of an anti-hero, recognizing she misinterpreted some of her commands the first time around, but she’s still a big fan of murder and mayhem. She’s just more selective about it.

But does she dance again?

Yes, she dances, but repeating the gimmicks of the first film makes for the stalest bits of the sequel. M3GAN 2.0 works best when it’s plumbing new depths between the characters, it is at its least engaging when ticking boxes from M3GAN. 

M3GAN was a very funny satire, does 2.0 live up to the comedy standard?

Mostly yes. 2.0 is funny, though it takes longer to get going (it’s 20 minutes longer than the first film). 2.0 delivers on some good gags, though, particularly around M3GAN’s unhinged interpretation of caretaking. And the camp. This film is SO campy. 

How campy?

“Murder doll dressed like a 90s raver” campy.

That’s pretty campy.

M3GAN 2.0 is so campy it lives in the woods.

M3GAN 2.0 co-stars short-lived SNL featured player Aristotle Athari. How much time did you spend thinking about his character “Angelo” and wondering what happened during his SNL run?

I’m literally still thinking about it. 

M3GAN 2.0 will play exclusively in theaters from June 27, 2025.