M3GAN 2.0 may not have made a huge impact at the box office, but the writer/director Gerard Johnstone doesn’t believe this is the end for the killing machine. Johnstone told RadioTimes he was confident about the future of the franchise, despite the disappointment in the reception to the recent sequel. "I really hope that there are more, and I'm sure there will be more.”
While more M3GAN’s may be in the future, Johnstone will not be returning. He called M3GAN 2.0 his “endpoint” in writing and directing the horror films. "I've been on these films since 2018, when I got the first script, so it's been a really long run for me, and I've put everything I possibly could into this movie for that reason."
Although there has been no confirmation from the studio about the films continuing, Johnstone claims they are already working on ideas. "I know that Blumhouse and Universal are already thinking about and working on ideas for another one. I'll be first in line to see it."
He thinks that society's reliance on AI and how it has become so integrated in our day-to-day lives will surely inspire more films in the M3GAN franchise. “I would not be surprised if there's another five of these movies. So, who knows, maybe I’ll come back for the fifth one,” Johnstone told The Hollywood Reporter. He expects future installments of the franchise to be inspired by the world of rapidly evolving technology.
Despite the shock success of M3GAN, the sequel failed to land in cinemas. The sequel only opened to $10.2 million ($17M worldwide) despite early hopes it would rival F1: The Movie at the box office. In comparison, the first film made $11.7 million on its first day and overall grossed $95.2 million in the United States and Canada.
The second movie saw M3GAN (played by a combination of Amie Donald and Jenna Davis) resurrected and upgraded as she must defeat a new and murderous machine known as Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno). The movie was met with mid to poor reviews, weak word-of-mouth buzz, and strong competition.
Jason Blum, the producer behind the franchise, admitted it was a learning experience in the industry. “Clearly, there is a huge audience who is excited to go to the movie,” added the producer. “The key is, we can’t figure out what movies they want to go see.”
He admitted the studio made a mistake by thinking M3GAN was a Superman like character who they could play around with. “We could change genres, we could put her in the summer, we could make her look different, we could turn her from a bad guy into a good guy,” he explained. “And we kind of classically overthought how powerful people’s engagement was, really, with her.”
M3GAN actress Allison Williams, who plays Gemma, is also keen to appear in future installments alongside the sassy yet murderous little doll. She told Radio Times, while promoting M3GAN 2.0 that she loved working with the team behind the films: "We love working together, even with our robotics co-stars… we’re very familial and close at this point. And so I think that really helps."
The Get Out star also revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she has been "dreaming" of a M3GAN trilogy, telling the outlet, "I certainly don’t feel like I’m done making these movies with these people and this tonal landscape and the subject matter.” Whether the box office struggle of M3GAN 2.0 will affect the future of the franchise is yet to be seen.
While a direct sequel is not in the works, a spin-off titled Soulm8te is set for release in 2026. It centers on a man who acquires an AI android to cope with the loss of his wife. He tried to turn this artificial intelligence companion into a sentient partner, with deadly consequences.