How ‘M3GAN 2.0’ Doubled Down on its Very Gay, Very Online Fanbase

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In just a fleeting instant during the preview for M3GAN 2.0, an enthusiast with a beard and long hair, who is a fan of the film’s protagonist, exclaims, “I don’t mind that she allegedly murdered four individuals, she’s an incredibly attractive warrior queen!”

The fan depicted in the movie M3GAN might not exist, but certain enthusiastic viewers of this film could find their enthusiasm mirrored in its energetic portrayal. Following its release in January 2023, the Universal movie about the lethal AI doll turned out to be a surprise success, earning $180 million globally on a budget of just $12 million. This impressive box office performance can be partially attributed to a dedicated group of enthusiastic, internet-savvy gay film fans.

The marketing strategy for the upcoming release of M3GAN 2.0 on June 27 aims to attract the original’s LGBTQ+ audience, as well as some heterosexual women, back to cinemas, with the hope that they will bring more friends along. Interestingly, this movie’s release date has been strategically scheduled to compete against Apple/Warner Bros.’ racing film F1, starring Brad Pitt. This places the PG-13 horror sequel right in the heart of a season usually dominated by action movies and family films that tend to appeal more to straight male audiences.

Michael Moses, the chief marketing officer of Universal Pictures, expresses their affection for summer and aims to make a significant occasion that also appeals to men, but they also see a market for an event tailored towards young women and LGBTQ+ audience,” says a statement from Universal Pictures.

Regrettably, the timing of this release doesn’t coincide with Matt Rogers’ assumption on the “Las Culturistas” podcast he co-hosts with Bowen Yang, where he suggested that “the gays will be so drained from Pride celebrations that they’ll need to rest and watch a movie.

The marketing strategy for the upcoming M3GAN 2.0 is appealing to fans of the original by showcasing popular girl anthems such as Britney Spears’ “Oops … I Did It Again” and Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon” in its trailers, gracing the cover of OUT magazine, featuring a segment on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and even having M3GAN dolls dance at West Hollywood’s Pride Parade.

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In an effort to engage fans of the original film, the promotional efforts for M3GAN 2.0 include trailers with popular girl anthems like Britney Spears’ “Oops … I Did It Again” and Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon”, a cover on OUT magazine, a segment on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and even having a troupe of M3GAN dolls dance in the West Hollywood Pride Parade.

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The new campaign for M3GAN 2.0 is winning over fans of the original by using trailers with catchy girl anthems such as Britney Spears’ “Oops … I Did It Again” and Chappell Roan’s “Femininomenon”, featuring on the cover of OUT magazine, having a segment on RuPaul’s Drag Race, and even having M3GAN dolls dance in West Hollywood’s Pride Parade.

The marketing strategy for the movie M3GAN and its sequel, produced by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, has a focus on the LGBTQ+ community, even though neither film is explicitly about gay themes. The screenwriter of the first film, Akela Cooper, and the director/screenwriter of both films, Gerard Johnstone, are not openly gay. The storyline revolves around an AI doll that takes care of an 8-year-old girl, with Allison Williams playing the roboticist who creates it. However, the AI doll is the main character, a witty and deadly school uniform-wearing robot brought to life by New Zealand actress Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis. In the sequel, M3GAN’s technology is stolen to create a military robot named AMELIA (Ivanna Sakhno), leading to a potential confrontation reminiscent of Terminator 2.

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The journey of M3GAN towards becoming a cultural sensation started in October 2022 when Universal released the trailer for the first movie, featuring a chilling dance scene by the doll on National Coming Out Day. Once the LGBTQ+ community on TikTok noticed this dance routine, it sparked a wave of memes. Users on TikTok combined clips of M3GAN dancing with songs by Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion, scenes from RuPaul’s Drag Race and dialogues from Real Housewives. Some users also kept the conversation going about M3GAN, like @CAdreamboy who posted a clip of the doll body rolling with the caption “The director yelled ‘cut’ but Megan heard ‘cunt’ and she went with it,” while @mrunitedface shared an image of Nicole Kidman looking distressed in the 2004 film Birth, accompanied by the comment “me trying to watch m3gan in theaters surrounded by twinks filming themselves shouting ‘mother’ at the screen.

Moses comments, “Since I’m gay, it wasn’t surprising to me,” he says regarding the swift popularity of M3GAN among LGBTQ+ audiences. “Let me tell you, she’s a doll who’s deadly and has some great dance moves, a sophisticated style, and an attitude.” By January 2023, the movie had become a box office sensation, and by then, a spoof SNL trailer for a M3GAN sequel was already circulating, promising to be “even more overtly gay.

It’s important to understand why M3GAN, in Moses’ view, seemed to resonate with gay audiences. As Joe Vallese, editor of the book It Came From the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror, explains, this doll follows a lineage of complex heroines that have been embraced by the gay community. According to Vallese, “Queer and gay men often admire female artists and musicians because much of the male gaze-y stuff doesn’t apply to us.” He continues, “We tend to elevate complicated women, like Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Madonna, and Mariah Carey. Although queer representation in media is still limited, as a gay man or a queer person, we often find substitutes in the form of complex women.

According to Vallese, the movie M3GAN portrays a technologically advanced villain in a childlike manner, which is reminiscent of a common trope seen in classic films such as Mervyn LeRoy’s 1956 psychological thriller The Bad Seed and William Friedkin’s 1973 horror film The Exorcist, where the antagonists are also presented as young entities with hidden evil.

The idea of relating to a creature like M3GAN is significantly important within the gay horror fan community, as per Heather O. Petrocelli, the author of Queer for Fear: Horror Film and the Queer Spectator. In her perspective, society has often labeled us as monsters. However, instead of seeing this as a negative, we have chosen to reclaim it as empowering. This is a form of release or emotional relief, often referred to as a cathartic fantasy.

The film’s campy style makes it appealing to many gay horror enthusiasts, as Petrocelli points out. “It’s excessive, it’s flamboyant, it’s intentionally unrealistic – all aspects that resonate well with the LGBTQ+ audience,” explains Petrocelli. “M3GAN exhibits a strong, sarcastic demeanor, dry wit, and rebellious actions. This can be seen as a form of ‘queer representation’.

Since its inception, horror films have featured talented gay filmmakers like Kevin Williamson (creator of “Scream”), Clive Barker (writer-director of “Hellraiser”), and James Whale (director of “Frankenstein”). Petrocelli expresses her desire for studios to invest more in horror creators who identify as queer, rather than solely relying on their fanbase. As she puts it, “We don’t just want to be addressed; we also aspire to have a place at the decision-making table.

However, for decades, horror movies have seen significant success among gay audiences. Yet, Universal’s explicit outreach to this group for M3GAN 2.0 is an unusual, yet encouraging step – as they express: “What sets it apart is that major production companies are now recognizing our importance, no longer viewing us as a specialized market, but as a crucial audience contributing significantly to the horror genre.”

You can find this article in the June 11 edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Consider subscribing by clicking here.

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2025-06-13 20:25