Blumhouse Productions began the year on a shaky note after the disappointing performance of Wolf Man, and M3GAN 2.0 has unfortunately continued this trend. Released in the summer, the sequel shifted its tone and genre dramatically but failed to meet expectations, earning only $10 million during its opening weekend. Producer Jason Blum openly reflects on the setbacks, acknowledging missteps in how the film was positioned and promoted.
Jason Blum Reflects on the Film’s Challenges and His Personal Response
Jason Blum spoke candidly about the film’s poor performance on The Town podcast with Matthew Belloni, revealing the emotional toll it took on him.
“I’ve been in pain all weekend long, and I’ve been thinking about all this stuff way too much,”
Blum said. He added,
“I thought, ‘You know what? If Blumhouse is in a slump, I’d like to tell that story. I don’t want other people to tell that story.’”
Key Miscalculations Behind M3GAN 2.0’s Failure
Blum identified three main reasons for the film’s failure. First, he admitted that they treated M3GAN like a summer superhero franchise, hoping to replicate the flexibility and mass appeal of characters like Superman.
“We all thought M3GAN was like Superman. We could do anything to her. We could change genres. We could put her in the summer. We could make her look different. We could turn her from a bad guy into a good guy. And we kind of classically over-thought how powerful people’s engagement was really with her,”
he explained.
The second error was overestimating the film’s potential to reach tentpole status. M3GAN 2.0 opened against a summer blockbuster featuring star power and fast cars, like F1 racing, and was overshadowed.
“From a little horror movie to a tent pole,”
Blum admitted he expected the film to “live in the summer,” but now realizes January would have been a better release window.
The third mistake involved the production timeline, specifically giving director Gerard Johnstone more time. Blum praised Johnstone as
“a terrific director… who couldn’t solve almost anything you throw at him,”
but acknowledged that the team
“got over our skis too far – summer movie, change the genre, set the date. You know, and we got too excited. We got too excited by M3GAN, and you know, she didn’t work. So that’s what happened.”
Future Prospects in the M3GAN Universe
While a direct sequel to M3GAN 2.0 appears unlikely given the film’s reception, interest in the M3GAN-related universe remains strong. A spinoff titled SOULM8TE is currently in development, aiming for release early next year. Described by M3GAN co-producer James Wan as an “AI meets Fatal Attraction” story, SOULM8TE explores a darker and more mature perspective of the AI theme.
Wan elaborated,
“M3GAN, obviously, dabbles in the PG-13 world, the younger demographic. We always felt like there might be a more adult story to tell, and that’s really what SOULM8TE is.”
He continued,
“SOULM8TE is basically set in the same AI world but seen through a more grown-up perspective, one that embraces all the great erotic thrillers from the ’90s. It’s like Fatal Attraction but with robots.”
Implications for Blumhouse and the Horror Genre
Jason Blum’s admission of the mistakes with M3GAN 2.0 highlights the risks of stretching a horror property beyond its natural scope, especially when attempting to compete with major summer franchises. The film’s lukewarm reception serves as a reminder that audience engagement is often tied to clear genre identity and appropriate release timing. Moving forward, Blumhouse appears to be recalibrating by exploring mature narratives within the M3GAN universe rather than pursuing oversized blockbuster ambitions.
