Though 2023 just started, in a couple of days, some new projects will be premiered, including the science fiction horror film M3GAN (Megan), a movie directed by Gerard Johnstone from a screenplay by Akela Cooper. The film had its world premiere in Los Angeles on December 7, 2022, yet the film is scheduled to release in the United States and among other countries on January 6, 2023, by Universal Pictures.
Gemma is a brilliant roboticist who works at a toy company and uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android), Megan becomes a lifelike doll programmed to be the children’s best companion which will be a great help to their parents. After unexpectedly gaining custody of her recently orphaned niece, named Cady, when the child’s parents die in a car accident, Gemma uses M3GAN to help the girl, though the doll becomes self-aware and overprotective of Cady, leading M3GAN to kill and harm anyone that gets in her way.
M3GAN’s cast is formed by:
- Allison Williams as Gemma, a roboticist and the inventor of M3GAN
- Violet McGraw as Cady, Gemma’s orphaned niece who lost her parents in a car accident
- Amie Donald as M3GAN
- Jenna Davis as the voice of M3GAN
- Ronny Chieng
- Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole
- Jen Van Epps as Tess
- Stephane Garneau-Monten as Kurt
- Arlo Green as Ryan
- Lori Dungey
There was a slight controversy with the movie since it had been categorized as PG-13 and there were some scenes that had to be reshot because they were not appropriate for the rating of the movie. The director revealed that the film was originally more gore and bloody. Gerard Johnstone also said he was inspired by the movie Drag Me To Hell directed by Sam Raimi. Later the director decided to reshoot in order to achieve the film’s PG-13 rating.
M3GAN was announced in 2018 by The Hollywood Reporter, saying production was underway for a techno horror-thriller. In the same year, Johnstone and Cooper were confirmed as director and screenwriter respectively. Even though the movie is about a killer doll, like the 2014 film Annabelle, the difference is that M3GAN applies the concept of embracing technology too much and start relying on it. It was also confirmed that M3GAN would have black comedy elements, becoming one of the reasons Gerard Johnstone was chosen to direct the film.
M3GAN was shot in different places such as Los Angeles and Auckland, New Zealand. The suburbs of Auckland were used to lend the film a Denver, Colorado-type feel. Filming was over before the lockdown due to COVID-19 in New Zealand.
Andrea Rich