R-Rated 'M3GAN' Spin-Off Scrapped 3 Weeks Ahead of Release

The first spin-off in the M3GAN universe is in jeopardy, according to a recent report. News broke yesterday evening that Soulm*8te, the spin-off movie featuring The Boys star Claudia Doumit, has been pulled from the release schedule. It was scheduled to premiere in just over a month on January 9, alongside Gerard Butler’s Greenland: Migration. Universal is reportedly shopping the film around and trying to find it a new home, but even if it does succeed in this endeavor, it likely won’t be released until later next year. No potential suitors have been reported or announced yet.

The first M3GAN movie, which released in 2022, was one of the most successful films of the last few years. It debuted with a Certified Fresh 93% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and a 78% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter. It took the box office by storm, grossing $180 million against a modest $12 million budget. The film stars Allison Williams as Gemma, Violet McGraw as Cady, Ronny Chieng as David, Amid Donald as M3gan, and more, and it was written by James Wan and Akela Cooper and directed by Gerard Johnstone. Universal moved forward quickly on a sequel, but things didn’t pan out for the second installment.

M3GAN 2.0 arrived earlier this year, and despite the widespread acclaim and success of the first film, it was proof that not everything needs a sequel. Critics turned on M3GAN 2.0, which led to it earning a Rotten 57% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. It did improve to an 81% on the audience-driven Popcornmeter, but that wasn’t enough to sell theater tickets. The film cost more than double to make, and with a $25 million budget, it left theaters after grossing only $39 million globally. It’s over $140 million short of the original.

Blumhouse Has a New Hit in Theaters Now

Blumhouse may not get the chance to bring Soulm8te to theaters, but the studio does have another movie currently playing that’s tearing up the box office. On December 5, Blumhouse released Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which stars Matthew Lillard and Josh Hutcherson. The film, written by Scott Cawthon and directed by Emma Tammi, has already grossed over $170 million at the box office against a $50 million budget. It’s poised to keep earning in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Soulm8te to see where the film lands next.