M3GAN Spinoff Movie Gets Surprising Update After Sequel Box Office Bomb

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The 2022 sci-fi horror film M3GAN was a huge success, earning $181.8 million worldwide on a small $12 million budget, and seemed poised to launch a new horror icon. Blumhouse Productions and Universal quickly announced plans for a M3GAN franchise, including a sequel (M3GAN 2.0) and a spinoff called SOULM8TE. However, the sequel didn’t live up to the original’s success. With mixed reviews and a disappointing box office return of only $39.1 million (compared to a $25 million budget), M3GAN 2.0 effectively ended plans for further films in the series at Universal.

Universal Pictures has decided to postpone the release of the movie SOULM8TE. This is unexpected because the film was scheduled to hit theaters in less than a month, on January 9, 2026. Now, Universal will try to sell the movie to other studios, but it’s unclear which one will end up distributing it.

Why Universal Pulled SOULM8TE From Its Release Date

It’s not entirely surprising that SOULM8TE has been pulled from the release schedule so close to its original date. Universal hadn’t released any trailers or posters for the movie, which suggested a delay was likely. Most films releasing in January and February already have promotional materials out, so SOULM8TE was already lagging behind. This news explains why there hadn’t been any advertising.

It’s really a shame about Kate Dolan’s SOULM8TE. From what I understand, the movie was finished and ready to go – they finished filming way back in November! After making a splash with You Are Not My Mother, this felt like her big chance to really break out, directing a spin-off for a potentially big franchise with Blumhouse. But honestly, while it’s disappointing for her creatively, I can see why Universal pulled the plug. The reaction to M3GAN 2.0 showed audiences had kind of lost interest, and even Jason Blum himself admitted they overcomplicated things. The studio probably figured it wasn’t worth pouring more money into it, and looking at the box office, they were probably right.

If the sequel to M3GAN had gone well, Universal Pictures would have released SOULM8TE as planned. However, because the sequel didn’t perform well, the studio lost interest in continuing with the project. Ideally, Universal was hoping to create a franchise similar to The Conjuring Universe, with main films and spin-offs. But unlike The Conjuring films, which consistently make money – even the spin-offs – M3GAN didn’t attract a large enough audience. Trying to promote SOULM8TE under a “M3GAN Universe” brand likely wouldn’t have worked.

The movie SOULM8TE will likely premiere on a streaming service, rather than in theaters. Following the release of M3GAN 2.0, a traditional theatrical release seems unlikely, and other major studios probably won’t want to risk the expense of distributing it in cinemas. It’s much easier now for films to find an audience at home, and many movies that initially failed in theaters have become popular on streaming platforms. If SOULM8TE does well on streaming, it could even help improve the reputation of the M3GAN franchise and pave the way for future films to be released in theaters once there’s proven audience interest.

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2025-12-17 01:40