Blumhouse‘s favorite little AI doll will have to wait a few extra months for her upgrade. Universal Pictures has delayed the release of M3GAN 2.0 from January 17, 2025, to Friday, May 16, 2025, slotting in the place once occupied by an Untitled Universal Event Film. Work is expected to begin soon on the much-anticipated horror sequel with the original M3GAN‘s screenwriter Akela Cooper returning to pen the script and Gerard Johnstone heading back behind the camera.

Produced by horror maestros Jason Blum and James Wan in a partnership between their respective Blumhouse and Atomic Monster banners, M3GAN burst — or more accurately, danced — onto the scene last year and became one of the surprise horror hits of 2023. The film starred Allison Williams and Violet McGraw as the inventor Gemma and her niece Cady whom she’s now the sole caretaker of, but the real standout was the prototype doll M3GAN, embodied by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. Gemma created M3GAN as a robot capable of befriending, teaching, and protecting a child, but all hell breaks loose upon giving the prototype to Cady. Given the widespread love for the new Blumhouse character, there’s no doubt the studio wants to ensure a follow-up delivers just as much chaotic fun as the original.

The ending of M3GAN teased the possibilities for a sequel as the killer AI’s power was shown to extend far beyond her doll body thanks to her internet access and Bluetooth capabilities. Though no information on the plot is available yet, Wan teased in an Empire Magazine interview that M3GAN 2.0 will lean into the terrifying realities of a rogue AI with connections not just to the all-powerful World Wide Web, but to the devices in Gemma and Cady’s home. Both Williams and McGraw are confirmed to return as the stars for the AI-centric follow-up with Williams also producing.

‘M3GAN 2.0’ Is a Key Piece of Blumhouse’s Upcoming Theatrical Slate

M3GAN 2.0 looks to be a vital release for Blumhouse after the original scared up over $181 million at the global box office. It’s one of several sequels the horror giant is cooking up alongside Five Nights at Freddy’s and The Black Phone follow-ups as the studio aims to capitalize on some of its biggest recent success stories. Ryan Turek, the Vice President of Feature Film Development at Blumhouse, highlighted these sequels, along with the Dead By Daylight video game adaptation, when speaking to Collider‘s Steve Weintraub back in January about the studio’s future, noting that development on M3GAN 2.0 was well underway despite cameras not yet rolling. Until its release date comes, however, the focus will be on Blumhouse‘s 2024 releases, including the PG-13 Imaginary on March 8.

M3GAN 2.0 hits theaters on May 16, 2025. Stay tuned here at Collider for more updates as production ramps up on the hotly-anticipated horror flick.

via Collider