Universal has pulled SOULM8TE, the planned spinoff set in the M3GAN universe, from its theatrical release schedule and has begun shopping the film to other studios and streamers, TheWrap reported Tuesday. The movie had been dated for Jan. 9, 2026, and the move comes with no public trailer or poster released ahead of what would have been a near-term rollout.
The project was positioned as an R-rated erotic thriller rather than a teen-friendly, PG-13 crowd-pleaser. Kate Dolan directed and co-wrote the film, which stars Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl and Claudia Doumit. Producer James Wan has described the approach as a throwback to 1990s erotic thrillers, framing it as “Fatal Attraction but with robots,” with the story centered on a grieving widower who brings home an AI companion that turns dangerous.
The decision also lands after a sharp drop in franchise box office. Box Office Mojo lists 2023’s M3GAN at $180.1 million worldwide, while M3GAN 2.0 finished at $39.1 million worldwide after opening in late June 2025. Producer Jason Blum previously pointed to creative recalibration on the sequel, saying on a podcast appearance that the team “over-thought” the character and treated M3GAN “like Superman,” assuming the brand could stretch across genres and release windows without losing what audiences first responded to.
For potential buyers, SOULM8TE still carries a clean, marketable hook—adult AI wish-fulfillment tipping into thriller territory—paired with established genre producers. Any new distributor will need to pick a new date, then build awareness quickly for a film that has largely stayed out of public view, even as the M3GAN label remains recognizable in the horror marketplace.
