Jason Blum broke his usual silence after a miss and called journalist Matt Belloni to dissect why “M3GAN 2.0” stumbled, admitting, “We all thought M3GAN was like Superman” before audiences proved otherwise. The sequel bowed with just $10.2 million in North America and $17.1 million worldwide, landing fourth behind Apple’s motor-racing drama “F1.”
Comscore data show domestic receipts have inched to $11.3 million, with global takings at $18.1 million after a week, far short of the first film’s $30.4 million debut in early 2023. Boxoffice Pro had forecast a $20-$30 million opening, but tracking slid steadily in the run-up to release.
Blum blames creative overreach: the new instalment leans into action-comedy, softens its killer doll and shifts the franchise from a quiet January launch to the summer tent-pole corridor. He also pointed to a glut of high-budget horror titles such as “Sinners” and “28 Years Later,” arguing the market “can’t absorb this much horror” in one season.
Industry voices echo the concern. Daniel Loria of Boxoffice Pro called the start “one of the year’s most shocking launches,” noting it trails even January flop “Night Swim.” TheWrap calculates that “M3GAN 2.0” is Blumhouse’s eighth consecutive release likely to finish under $80 million worldwide, extending an 18-month slump. Yet the independent studio’s low-cost model cushions the blow; the sequel’s production spend is estimated at $25 million, well under typical summer fare.
Blum signalled a strategic pivot toward bigger “event” budgets for future entries like “Black Phone 2” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” while conceding that any misfire at higher scale could be “existential.” For now, the once-viral android faces an uncertain future: with ticket sales lagging and no streaming deal yet announced, analysts question whether “M3GAN” remains a franchise engine or a cautionary tale about pushing a meme too far, too fast.
