M3GAN 2.0 Has Critics and Audiences Divided After Underwhelming Debut

The killer doll is back. After the massive success of the first installment, the robotic doll is back in M3GAN 2.0, but the highly anticipated sequel didn’t receive the same warm welcome as its predecessor.

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s M3GAN was an unexpected horror hit, and received praise for its campiness, humor, and horror. The sequel brought the same team back, but it didn’t have the same impact, especially with M3GAN 2.0 leaning more into action territory than horror. However, after its release in theaters, M3GAN 2.0 has critics and audiences divided on Rotten Tomatoes, with the sequel earning a “rotten” score from the critics but a better one than the original from the audience.

M3GAN Director Reveals The One Thing He Wants To Avoid In The Sequel

Director Gerard Johnstone’s creative choice may come as a surprise to movie fans.

M3GAN 2.0 debuted with a positive score, but barely: 61%. As more reviews came in, the sequel struggled to keep its “fresh” badge, and it now holds a “rotten” score of 58% out of 144 reviews. The critics believe that the change from horror to action “doesn’t prove to be an upgrade,” although the sequel maintains its humor.

However, M3GAN 2.0 received positive reviews from the audience. With an even higher score than the original, M3GAN 2.0 has an 84% approval score from moviegoers. Some people believed the sequel was better than the first entry, and one person argued that they wished “it was Rated R so they could really lean into the horror or action elements.” The audience also praised the humor, which translated well from the original to the sequel, and praised the “nice plot twist.”

The audience didn’t mind the shift toward action, and even praised the fact that it had “lots of action and a great storyline.” The reviews called it fun and entertaining, and worth watching in theaters.

Ahead of the Sequel, M3GAN Is Back to Slaying on Streaming

The killer doll is killing it on streaming before M3GAN 2.0 arrives.

The scores are much different than 2023’s M3GAN. The original had a Certified Fresh 93% score from the critics, who absolutely loved it, and an encouraging 78% from the audiences.

Despite M3GAN’s finale, where Gemma destroyed M3GAN, the sequel brings the doll back… with an upgrade. Gemma has to build M3GAN again when a military robot built based on M3GAN’s stolen technology is attempting an AI takeover. Director Gerard Johnstone returns for the sequel as well, this time writing the script as well. Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Jemaine Clement, with Amie Donald physically portraying M3GAN, all return, with Ivanna Sakhno playing the new robot, AMELIA.

M3GAN 2.0 is also not living up to expectations at the box office. The sequel has a lower opening weekend than the first film, projected to make only $20 million during its first three days. The original had a $30.4 million opening and ended up grossing $181.7 million worldwide (via The Numbers), a huge feat considering its $12 million budget.

The sequel has a reported budget of $25 million, and it would need over $60 million to break even. However, it a reported $20 million domestically, as well as the positive reviews, M3GAN 2.0 could become a box office hit as well.

M3GAN Started a Franchise

Following the success of the first installment, which made 15 times its budget, Universal and Blumhouse continued to turn M3GAN into a franchise. A sequel was greenlit, which premiered two and a half years after the original. Although it’s unclear whether M3GAN 3.0 would follow, there is already a spinoff on the way.

The M3GAN films were all about family, but the upcoming sequel, SOULM8TE, will take a more mature turn. The upcoming film is a sci-fi erotic horror, and will follow a man who buys an android doll to cope with the death of his wife. SOULM8TE stars Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, Claudia Doumit and Oliver Cooper, and will premiere on Jan. 9, 2026.

M3GAN 2.0 is out in theaters.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes