‘M3GAN 2.0’ Team on Delivering a “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” Version of Their Killer Dancing AI Robot

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During the unveiling of his latest film titled M3GAN 2.0, director Gerard Johnstone shares an intriguing observation about parenting that leaves us wondering if he’s talking about teenagers or actual monsters. He expresses his biggest fear as a parent to be, “It’s like dealing with a creature that constantly transforms and adapts, and just when you feel you’ve got it figured out, it metamorphoses into something else,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter on the film’s red carpet in New York on Tuesday evening.

The new installment of the 2023 horror success M3GAN, set to release, explores a striking resemblance between the challenges of parenting a teenager in reality and overseeing a sentient AI robot like M3GAN – described as being “on steroids” by executive producer Jason Blum. Executive Producer Adam Hendricks reveals that the updated version of M3GAN will be highly unpredictable. He explains, “M3GAN is Gemma’s child in a way, and her future development is largely determined by this movie. For much of the film, however, Gemma remains clueless about M3GAN’s capabilities and is fearful of what she might be capable of.

M3GAN, the teenage robot character, appears unsettling because she can seamlessly integrate into human society. She’s not only grown but also carries a lot of attitude and typical teenage issues. Given that teenagers themselves can be quite frightening, transferring these traits to an AI with potential lethal capabilities takes things to a whole new, chilling level,” James Wan explained.

On June 27, you’ll find the sequel in cinemas. It continues the story several years after the tragic incidents depicted in the first movie. The character Gemma (Allison Williams) and her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) are compelled to reactivate M3GAN due to a more advanced, dangerous, and human-like robot created by the military becoming operational. This new model has been designed and armed by the military.

Williams hinted that she’s already noticed her return character is taller, has more abilities, exerts more influence, and shows more attitude. He jokingly added that while he once had some control over her, now she seems to have a bigger ego. Williams explained that the movie isn’t just about AI regulation, but also about parenting – raising both a teenage human and a robot. It’s a thought-provoking exploration of various issues like parenthood and AI, all presented in an entertaining way.

In the sequel, M3GAN’s growth is shown by granting her more freedom to express herself through her fashion choices. As costume designer Jeriana San Juan puts it, she kept the elements that were most defining from M3GAN’s initial appearance, and then updated them for version 2.0: “She embodies a futuristic aesthetic that I believe many are drawn to, and since M3GAN has undergone mental and spiritual development, we gave her a slightly more assertive, mature style.”

Based on statements made by Jenna Davis, the voice actress for M3GAN, audiences can anticipate that the robot’s voice will have some variations too. In an interview with THR, she mentioned that they experimented with different tones and gave her a slightly more mature feel, but not to the extent of losing what people cherished about her original character. Davis emphasized that she aimed to preserve the elements that made the first version so popular, such as its campiness, sass, fun, and overall charm.

After adjustments to her appearance, performance style, and vocal delivery, audiences can anticipate some changes in “how she moves and how she sounds,” hinted Hendricks. Johnstone further added, “As legendary as her initial dance was, nobody wants to see a repeat. So we’ve prepared something a bit more extraordinary for this performance. Let me give you a hint: She is a robot. She’s going to perform a unique dance routine. Perhaps she’ll show off some of her robotic abilities.

Viewers can anticipate some significant adjustments, yet EP Judson Scott assures us that M3GAN, after undergoing an upgrade, will still be the same character fans adore. “She’s grown larger, stronger, faster,” he explained. “We’ve preserved much of the unique tone she had in the first movie and carried it over to the second, but we’ve also given her a new narrative and placed her in fresh scenarios.

In the next tale, M3GAN will square off against a fresh AI character named Amelia, who takes on the role of the primary adversary in the subsequent installment.

In the movie, Johnstone explains how the two robots are portrayed differently. To make M3GAN appear more favorable, they wanted an antagonist that would stand out. The story revolves around families, and when M3GAN joins a caring family, it highlights her desire to change for the better. On the other hand, Amelia, who is trained by the military and considers them as parents, lacks the programming code that M3GAN has. In essence, Amelia serves as a dark reflection of M3GAN, mirroring her in aspects such as appearance and fighting style.

Ivanna Sakhno, who plays Amelia in the movie, commented that there’s an abundance of fighting scenes. She feels like most of her actions revolve around fighting, fighting, fighting, and moreover, she dons various outfits for these scenes, ranging from dresses to full-body suits and even regular street clothes. There’s a lot of wardrobe changes, and it’s all quite over-the-top, yet enjoyable and absurd. However, despite the campy nature of the film, the fight sequences are authentic.

In contrast to M3GAN in the initial film, Amelia appears incredibly human-like, amplifying an eerie sensation. “Amelia may look like any other human at first glance, but her speech and actions reveal subtle oddities that make you question her authenticity. It’s a continuation of the unsettling vibe from the first movie, taken a step further,” Scott explains. As a fan, I can’t wait to see how this development unfolds on screen!

In the sequel, Amelia assumes the role of the robot antagonist, allowing M3GAN to step into a new part within the story. Scott explained that this change felt like a logical progression, with the central theme of the movie now being our previous fear of M3GAN as she attempted to harm us, contrasted with our current need to bring her back to life to save ourselves. An intriguing concept we discovered for the second film is that M3GAN represents the idea or concept rather than the specific genre of the movie. This allows us to move the character and the story into a different genre, adding a fresh perspective.

Hendricks mentioned that it would have been simple to create a repetitive follow-up, such as ‘M3GAN 1.5’, but they prefer to aim higher in their filmmaking. Instead of just making a sequel, they wanted to craft an entirely original movie. This new film would introduce the character into a fresh genre while ensuring there were solid foundations.

Blum found it logical to create a sequel given the success of M3GAN, as the film seemed to captivate audiences significantly. He expressed this during his conversation with THR, stating, “Everyone involved in the project felt that people were eager for more of her character. It’s not always like that. The movie performed well even after its initial release, which is often an indication of strong word-of-mouth. M3GAN has become a cultural phenomenon, and this prompted us to consider making another film.

Regarding the future of the M3GAN series, Williams expressed her eagerness for more installments. “I’m excited to see what M3GAN can accomplish,” she said. “I’m ready for this journey. This project has been an amazing experience, a challenging yet rewarding endeavor, and a source of immense passion for me. I was part of the first film, and the second one felt like I doubled my soul’s investment. These movies are like massive collaborative artworks that reflect our collective passion, and I feel so fortunate to be a part of it.

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2025-06-25 23:55