A new behind-the-scenes image offers a glimpse ofM3GAN 2.0.The upcoming horror movie is a sequel to the 2022 smash hit, which followed a life-size robotic doll gone rogue, committing a series of murders to protect her new owner, Cady (Violet McGraw), an orphan who is now in the care of her roboticist aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). TheupcomingM3GAN 2.0will feature the return of both main characters and the titular killer robot as well as Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole and Jen Van Epps as Tess alongside newcomers Ivanna Sakhno, Timm Sharp, Aristotle Athari, and Jemaine Clement.
Vanity Fairhas shared a newexclusive behind-the-scenes image fromM3GAN 2.0, which wrapped principal photography in New Zealand in October. The photo features one of the dolls playing M3GAN herself, being inspected by returning star Violet McGraw and lead puppeteer Adrien Morot, who also worked on the original movie in addition to recent horror outings such asThe First Omen,The Exorcism, Eli Roth’sThanksgiving,Scream VI,Cult of Chucky,Slender Man, and 2019’sPet Sematary. See the full-sized image below:
What This Means For M3GAN 2.0
Many Details Are Still Under Wraps
This new image does not seem to reveal very much about the setting or plot of the new movie, especially as it appears to be taken in a production office rather than one of the movie’s sets. However,the killer doll seems to have roughly the same design as the previous installment, with her blank face and prim outfit. This makes sense, because she was designed to be mass marketed, so her being able to come back to torment the returningM3GANcastis likely a result of those original designs.
The doll may be more of a representation of Cady’s complicated relationship with her traumatic childhood…
However, it does underscore the fact thatCady will be visibly older in the new movie, as McGraw was 10 years old during principal photography on the first movie and is now 13. This will likely change her character’s relationship with the titular doll considerably. While M3GAN was an insidious influence in the original movie because Cady forged a strong childhood bond with her new toy in the wake of her parents' death, in the new movie the doll may be more of a representation of Cady’s complicated relationship with her traumatic childhood as she leaves it behind.
Our Take On The M3GAN 2.0 Image
Can The Magic Of M3GAN Be Recaptured?
So far, this first look at the sequel shows that the movie has preserved as many as possible of the original elements that made the first movie a hit. This likely means that there will be more carnage, more eeriness, and further attempts at capturing a viral dance moment. Whether this succeeds remains to be seen, asM3GANreviewsearned the original movie a Certified Fresh 93% Rotten Tomatoes score and a worldwide gross of $181 million against a $12 million budget, sothe follow-up has big shoes to fill.
M3GAN 2.0
Cast
M3GAN 2.0 is a 2025 sci-fi thriller that follows Gemma, the creator of M3GAN, as she resurrects and upgrades the AI companion. This time, M3GAN must thwart a powerful defense contractor’s misuse of her technology, which they have transformed into a military-grade weapon named Amelia.
