Looking for some exciting MCU news to liven up your Friday morning? Look no further! Yes, the MCU — that's the M3GAN Cinematic Universe, of course — is branching out. With M3GAN 2.0 already under construction, Deadline are reporting that Blumhouse and Atomic Monster are hard at work on SOULM8TE, a 90s style erotic thriller spin-off film to be directed by You Are Not My Mother's Kate Dolan.
James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Rafael Jordan have devised the story for SOULM8TE, with Dolan rewriting the film's latest draft. Per Deadline's reporting, the plot for this one will follow a man who gets an AI android to help cope with his wife's death, only for the bot to turn deadly. It's an intriguing premise that calls to mind Black Mirror's brilliant Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson episode 'Be Right Back' (only more murderous). And given the emotional rawness of Dolan's Samhain-set horror You Are Not My Mother, the prospect of that directorial sensibility and the Black Mirror-esque set-up all tied together in an erotic thriller package is *very* intriguing, to say the least.
“Fundamentally, I view this film as an exploration of relationships and loneliness,” said Dolan in a statement following SOULM8TE's announcement. “Despite technological advances, there are enduring human truths we cannot escape, and I am looking forward to delving into those depths.” Added producer Wan: "SOULM8TE is a thrilling and seductive addition to the M3GAN universe. We’re excited to partner with Kate to bring this story to life with her unique cinematic vision and point of view."
With M3GAN 2.0 set to continue the story of everybody's favourite murderously loyal, dance-crazy emotional-support-android when it hits cinemas on 17 January, 2025, we've got a little longer to wait for SOULM8TE. Dolan's film is currently slated for release on 2 January, 2026, following hot on the heels of a busy 2025 ahead for Blumhouse, who have the M3GAN sequel, Insidious 6, The Black Phone 2, and Five Nights At Freddy's 2 all coming up next year. And who knows, maybe by then we'll have finally wrapped our head around the insane number-based naming conventions for the M3GAN universe. W3 liv3 in hop3!