When “Child’s Play” got a reboot in 2019 that updated the origins of Chucky to be a modern AI toy gone wrong, it was obviously met with backlash. While it updated the story for a more modern audience where AI is, in fact, built into much of our technology, it messed with an established character and franchise that was still pumping out sequels just two years prior. A skim of reviews shows that most people were fine with the premise; they just didn’t like that they messed with the original. If you’re one of those, I have a trailer for you for a film called “M3GAN.”
From the mind of James Wan, the filmmaker behind the “Saw,” “Insidious,” and “The Conjuring” franchises, and Blumhouse comes a fresh new friend in terror, M3GAN, which is short for Model 3 Generative Android. A marvel of artificial intelligence, M3GAN is 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 (Allison Williams; “Get Out”), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes a friend, 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.
Produced by Jason Blum and James Wan, “M3GAN” is directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (“Housebound”), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (“Malignant”) based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan.
The film also stars Ronny Chieng (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), Brian Jordan Alvarez (“Will & Grace”), Jen Van Epps (“Cowboy Bebop”), Lori Dungey (“The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” extended edition) and Stephane Garneau-Monten (“Straight Forward”).
The film’s executive producers are Allison Williams, Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath.
“M3GAN” will arrive exclusively in theaters on January 13, 2023.
