Charles Pulliam-Moore is a reporter focusing on film, TV, and pop culture. Before The Verge, he wrote about comic books, labor, race, and more at io9 and Gizmodo for almost five years.
Though Blumhouse’s first M3gan feature was a near-perfect blend of techno-horror and ridiculous comedy, the sequel looks like it’s going to blow its predecessor out of the water.
Set a couple of years after the first film, M3gan 2.0 once again centers roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) — two of the few people who managed to survive M3gan’s (Amie Donald / Jenna Davis) initial murder spree.
As an advocate for stricter regulations on the very same kind of artificial intelligence she helped create, Gemma knows how dangerous it would be if she were to bring M3gan back. But when a defense contractor uses Gemma’s code to create an even more advanced killer robot called Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), who immediately sets out to conquer the world, Gemma has no choice but to give M3gan a second chance at life.
While the first M3gan was definitely silly, this trailer’s use of “Oops!… I Did It Again” and its focus on M3gan flying through the sky in a wingsuit make clear that writer Akela Cooper and director Gerard Johnstone are fully leaning into the franchise’s camp. Blumhouse’s other recent AI panic horrors haven’t exactly sparked joy, but M3gan 2.0 feels like it’s going to be one hell of a good time when it hits theaters on June 27th.
