Remember when Malignant came out, and the vast majority of the horror community melted down over how utterly bonkers the James Wan-directed, Akela Cooper-scripted film turned out to be? Remember your first time watching that movie, all the cars you flipped over in the street after witnessing its big jailhouse showdown? The chairs you violently tossed across your living room in solidarity with Gabriel? How we all started parking our cars at the very edge of clifftops, just for funsies?
Well, guess what? Wan and Cooper are back, and it appears the success of Malignant has only emboldened them to get weirder. Thank you, Satan.
This is the very first trailer for Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN, an utterly wild new horror film headed our way in January. Wan’s producing, Cooper’s scripting, and M3GAN is leaping about the forest on all fours, hanging people from exercise equipment, doing TikTok dances, and wielding what might be a goddamn katana. If you can watch that trailer and come away unmoved, well, I’m not sure I know how to help you. This is a M3GAN household now.
Here’s an official plot synopsis:
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.
When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House), Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems—a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.
There’s not a single thing going on here that doesn’t have us excited. Malignant was such an incredibly fun blast (one, you’ll recall, that many of us simply didn’t see coming), and we’re delighted to see the same creative team back together again. And Johnstone! Dude directed Housebound, which means he’s definitely the guy you want directing a movie like this.
We have nothing further to report about M3GAN at this time, but rest assured that we’ll be eagerly monitoring its journey to the big screen on January 13th. Stay tuned for further updates as they roll in, and – in the meantime – maybe start practicing your dance moves.
