'M3GAN' spinoff 'Soulm8te' quietly exits Universal release calendar — here's what we know
The 'M3GAN' universe might be destined for great things in the future, but not at the moment. With the first 'M3GAN' movie creating a box-office record earlier in 2022, hopes for the franchise's future were high. While audiences expected the sequel movie, 'M3GAN 2.0', to be a continuation of everything that made the first movie so memorable, it turned out to be a marked departure from its roots. It was described as a "1990s erotic thriller", but it didn't feel like it belonged in the franchise.
It was only a matter of time before poor revenues, coupled with discouraging reviews of 'M3GAN 2.0', had their effect on the yet unreleased 'Soulm8te'. The spin-off was originally scheduled to release on January 9, 2026, and has since then been pulled from the release calendar by Universal Pictures, Deadline reported. 'Soulm8te' follows the story of a man who takes a liking to an android powered by artificial intelligence.
However, it isn't exactly a harmless connection as the man eventually transforms the android from a harmless companion to a truly terrifying soulmate, egged on by the memories of his deceased wife. Lily Sullivan, Claudia Doumit, Emma Ramos, Isabelle Bonfrer, and Sydney Blackburn star in the leading roles. Kate Dolan wrote and directed the film, based on a story written by Rafael Jordan, James Wan, and Ingrid Bisu, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Although 'Soulm8te' doesn't have a teaser or a trailer to commend itself, passages from the movie made their way to an exclusive screening at the CinemaCon held earlier this year in April. The footage illustrated the manner in which the android transformed itself from an affectionate bot to a violent and aggressive adversary. ScreenRant described the footage as beginning with someone delivering an adult robot to an apartment. The robot is then shown performing various tasks, including cleaning and offering companionship. She eventually tells the man who purchased her, "I love you. Tell me you love me," before becoming increasingly obsessed. The robot goes on to threaten and harm anyone who gets close to him. When his girlfriend attempts to reason with her, the robot dismisses her efforts, saying, "Don't try that girl power sh*t with me," before attempting to drown her.
'M3GAN' still reigns supreme in terms of being a sleeper hit from 2022. Made on a budget of $12 million, the dark horror comedy went on to earn $181 million worldwide. The success was reiterated when a sequel movie was ordered with a $25 million budget, but failed miserably to live up to the expectations set and ended its box office run with just $39 million, as per Variety. This, coupled with Paramount's horror flick 'Primate' moving up to acquire the January 9 release window, led to 'Soulm8te' being indefinitely delayed.
