Universal is officially ending its M3GAN spinoff, Soulm8te. Originally set to open in theaters on January 9, 2026, the film has been removed from the studio’s release calendar and is now being shopped to other distributors.
The M3GAN Bubble Burst?
Why the sudden change of heart? It looks like the lukewarm reception to M3GAN 2.0 is to blame. While the first film was a viral sensation, turning $12 million into a massive $180 million in 2022, this past summer’s sequel struggled to find its footing. Despite a bigger $25 million budget, M3GAN 2.0 only managed a $39 million global haul.
With the franchise’s momentum cooling off, Universal seems ready to offload the spinoff rather than gamble on a theatrical run.
What is SOULM8TE?
Think of this one as M3GAN for grown-ups. Produced by horror heavyweights James Wan (Atomic Monster) and Jason Blum (Blumhouse), the film is a psychological horror-thriller that shifts away from the “slashing doll” vibe toward something much more suggestive.
Directed by Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother), the story follows a grieving man who buys an AI android to help him cope with the loss of his wife. But, in his quest to make the bot truly sentient, he accidentally transforms a harmless “love-bot” into an obsessive, deadly soulmate. For context, James Wan previously described the film as “Fatal Attraction but with robots.”
The Cast
Even if it loses its connection to the M3GAN universe during the sale, the film still has a killer cast: Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead Rise), David Rysdahl (Alien: Earth), Claudia Doumit (“The Boys”), Arty Froushan (“Daredevil: Born Again”), and Oliver Cooper (Project X).
It’s a bit of a bummer for fans of the “M3GAN-verse,” but with a premise like “Erotic Robot Thriller,” there’s a good chance this lands on a major streaming service soon. We’ll keep you posted.
