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Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘M3GAN 2.0' Review: Allison Williams in an Occasionally Fun but Overloaded AI Sequel That Botches Its Factory Reset
The campy sense of mischief that made Gerard Johnstone's 2023 hit M3GAN so enjoyable asserts itself intermittently in M3GAN 2.0, a logical title for a follow-up to the thriller about a murderous robot. But the humor is forced to compete with seriously overcomplicated plotting in a sequel that entangles its horror comedy roots with uninspired espionage elements, becoming a convoluted mishmash with shades of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Mission: Impossible and the Austin Powers franchise. There are amusing moments reminiscent of the original, but in terms of tone and coherence, the movie loses its way. The sequel works best when its focus remains on the central family unit — robotics scientist Gemma (Allison Williams), her orphaned niece Cady (Violet McGraw) and M3GAN (played physically by dancer Amie Donald in a mask and voiced by Jenna Davis), the android intended as Cady's companion and protector, who went rogue in the first movie and had to be destroyed. More from The Hollywood Reporter 'M3GAN 2.0' Filmmaker Gerard Johnstone Won't Be Surprised If There's "Another Five of These Movies" Allison Williams Has "Been Dreaming of" a 'M3GAN' Trilogy Blumhouse Buys 'Saw' Stake From Twisted Pictures Johnstone takes on solo script duties from a story he developed with M3GAN screenwriter Akela Cooper, based on characters she created with James Wan. The director makes it clear from the opening that this will be a very different film — less interested in the domestic dysfunction and corporate mayhem of its predecessor and more concerned with arms dealers, duplicitous techies and an industrial military complex with a shiny new toy. None of which, sad to say, is terribly fresh or exciting. Much has changed on the artificial intelligence front in the two and a half years since M3GAN was released, as AI has rapidly become more prevalent in contemporary life, both online and off. The new movie states the obvious when it talks up the need for humans to coexist with robotics technology, albeit with legal safeguards in place. But it's too silly to have much bearing on the real world. The tagline for the sequel is 'I'm Still That B.' But M3GAN 2.0 is too infrequently allowed to be that B. Instead, she starts acquiring empathy and morality, which we all know are no fun. That's not to say she has lost her snarky delivery, her mean-girl death stare or her passive-aggressive manipulation skills. 'You killed four people and a dog!' Gemma reminds her. 'I was a kid when it happened, doing what I thought was right,' replies M3GAN with dubious contrition. She then gives Gemma a comforting pep talk about the challenges of being a mom before launching into a truly hilarious Kate Bush homage. While M3GAN's humanoid casing was destroyed when she got out of control last time around, her codes survived in not-quite-sleep mode. She's been an unseen but all-seeing presence in Gemma and Cady's home, which also serves as the lab where Gemma and her colleagues Cole (Brian Jordan Alvarez) and Tess (Jen Van Epps) continue their robotics work. M3GAN has way too much intimate knowledge of her inventor for Gemma's comfort, but when their lives are endangered, the robot makes a convincing case that only she can help them take down a new robo-threat. All she needs is a new body and a few upgrades. That threat goes by the name Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), the T-1000 to M3GAN's 101 model. Developed from the M3GAN template by the U.S. Army's Defense Innovation Unit in Palo Alto and overseen by Colonel Sattler (Timm Sharp), Amelia is introduced on a test mission near the Turkish-Iranian border, where she ignores her orders to rescue a kidnapped scientist, instead killing him and wiping out an entire research facility. Once Amelia has eliminated almost everyone involved in her creation, Gemma and Cady seem likely to be next on her list. But there's an awful lot of plot to trudge through before Amelia's inevitable encounter with the rebirthed M3GAN. Some of that involves Gemma's advocacy for stricter AI control measures; her quasi-romance with fellow cautionary tech activist Christian (Aristotle Athani); her secret development with Cole and Tess of an AI-free mecha-suit that will equip humans with robot strength and stamina; the industrial espionage of tech billionaire Alton Appleton (Jemaine Clement), who believes that Gemma's new exosuit could be a game-changer with the addition of his neuro-chips; and the discovery of a killer robot dating back to 1984, dubbed Project Black Box, which has been locked in a vault, continuing to develop for decades. The ultimate fear is that Amelia will harness that mother-bot's power and unleash global chaos. Naturally, there's also friction between rebellious Cady and her aunt, whose alarmism after the renegade M3GAN disaster in the first movie means computer science enthusiast Cady has to keep her own robotics projects hidden. Not that this thread is given the space to acquire much weight. It's delightful to see M3GAN 2.0 sashay back to life and reappear in her customary retro-preppy look, just as it is to watch her bust her signature dance moves at an AI convention, wearing a cyber-babe disguise. But too often, the star attraction takes a back seat to the much less entertaining Amelia, an icy blonde killing machine like so many icy blonde killing machines before her, with none of M3GAN's sardonic wit. I got more laughs out of Gemma's smart-home system outmaneuvering a team of FBI agents. Sure, Amelia gets to do some cool stuff like scamper on all fours toward a target, scramble down a wall like a spider, rip the head off one poor unfortunate and neutralize entire tactical units with her dazzling fight skills. But the action mostly feels rote and lacking in suspense. While it's unfair to criticize Johnstone for wanting to change things up, it's disappointing that he's made a Blumhouse-Atomic Monster production that has almost no connection to horror. The creepiness that offset the camp in the first movie is undetectable. McGraw and Williams (who's also a producer here) are no less appealing than they were in the original, and Gemma gets to step into the fray with gusto once M3GAN slips inside her head via a neuro-chip. Clement is a droll presence who seems to have wandered in from the set of a James Bond spoof ('Ooh, you're a naughty one,' Alton tells Amelia, his interest further aroused when she wallops him across the face). But he doesn't stick around long enough to help get through the messy patches. And Athani signals Christian's shadiness almost from his first appearance, which removes any surprise from the busy narrative contortions of the protracted climax. The movie looks polished, thanks to Get Out cinematographer Toby Oliver's sleek widescreen visuals. But it becomes a drag as confusion spirals around who's controlling Amelia and how to stop her. M3GAN herself remains a fabulous creation with a wicked sense of humor ('Hold onto your vaginas,' she warns Gemma and Cole as she takes control of a sports car), and the character's canny mix of sweetness and menace is by no means tapped out. But if the franchise is to continue, she needs to go back to the lab for reprogramming. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT
Screen Geek
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Blumhouse Officially Gets 'Saw' Rights With James Wan & Leigh Whannell Involved
The Saw film franchise has been in a difficult time following the success of Saw X . In fact, it was unclear if fans were ever getting an eleventh Saw movie. Now things have taken a turn for the better with the announcement that Blumhouse has acquired the rights to the Saw franchise. As shared via Deadline, this deal will also allow James Wan and Leigh Whannell to return to the franchise in a creative capacity. Though details are being kept under wraps at this time, this is all due to Blumhouse's acquisition of the rights owned by Twisted Pictures. Lionsgate still owns the other 50% of the franchise and they will continue to be involved as a partner. Fans of the franchise are quite familiar with James Wan's contributions, having specifically directed the original 2004 film that started it all. Leigh Whannell, on the other hand, operated as a co-writer on the 2004 movie alongside Wan. Whannell returned to contribute his writing to Saw II , later writing Saw III based on a story he co-wrote with Whannell, and thus passing the series off to new creators with Saw IV . Wan continued to receive an executive producer credit on the following films, though he was no longer involved creatively. Now that Blumhouse has the rights to the Saw franchise, this will give Wan an opportunity to be involved once again, especially since his own Atomic Monster label recently merged with the studio. An eleventh Saw film has yet to enter production – though one was previously announced for a September 2025 release date. Big plans are currently being put into place here, however, so we'll likely have more news regarding the franchise's future soon. Saw X recently rejuvenated the brand quite successfully, so hopefully fans will see the series continue in that direction. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the Saw film franchise as we have them – especially now that Blumhouse has acquired Twisted Pictures' share of the rights. Exciting times are ahead for fans of the long-running horror franchise.
Geek Tyrant
05-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Tyrant
Blumhouse Acquires SAW Rights From Twisted Pictures; James Wan Comes Back to the Franchise — GeekTyrant
Blumhouse is stepping into the blood-soaked legacy of Saw . Jason Blum's horror studio is acquiring the rights to Twisted Pictures' share of the Saw franchise. This is a big and interesting move, especially since it brings James Wan, who directed the first film in the franchise, back into the franchise. Lionsgate still owns 50% of the Saw IP and will remain an active partner in future projects. But Twisted Pictures' Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who've steered the ship from the beginning, are handing off their share, signaling a major shift for the long-running horror brand. At the moment, no new Saw film is officially in development. Still, this shake-up makes it inevitable that more Jigsaw mayhem is coming. For horror fans, this will mark a fresh era for the franchise. Blumhouse has already worked with both Wan and Leigh Whannell on hits like Insidious and The Invisible Man . Reuniting with the Saw universe could spark a tonal recalibration, especially after the stalled development of Saw XI. That project, once aimed at a September 2025 release, hit a wall when Lionsgate and producers couldn't align creatively. A script from Saw veterans Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan had been submitted, with Saw X director Kevin Greutert on board. But despite Saw X pulling in $112M globally on an $18.3M opening weekend, plans for the eleventh film were shelved. The original Saw was made on a shoestring budget and exploded out of the gate with an $18.6M opening, eventually grossing $104M worldwide. Over time, the franchise racked up over $1 billion in global box office, and its influence spread into games, comics, haunted house attractions, Halloween masks… you name it. At the heart of the franchise is John 'Jigsaw' Kramer and his disciples trapping victims in horrific moral games, doling out punishment and enlightenment through gore and psychological terror. With Blumhouse now in the game, and Wan potentially closer to the property than he's been in years, the question is no longer if Saw will return—but how. Let the games begin… again. Source: Deadline
Geek Culture
05-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Culture
Blumhouse Potentially Acquiring 'Saw' Rights, Reconnecting Co-Creator James Wan With Franchise
In a deal that would mark a full-circle moment for the Saw franchise, Deadline has reported that Blumhouse is in talks to acquire the ownership stake of the intellectual property (IP) from Twisted Pictures. It's an old back-and-forth between the two companies, but if the takeover goes through, the cult horror series will partially be back in the hands of original film director James Wan, also credited as co-creator alongside scribe Leigh Whannell. Lionsgate, distributor of the movies since 2004, is set to remain a partner. Blumhouse, founded by Jason Blum, merged with Wan's production banner, Atomic Monster, early last year. Some of its notable upcoming titles for the year include M3GAN 2.0 , releasing on 27 June, and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 , slated to hit the silver screen in December. As for Saw , it went against the slim odds of an 18-day shoot and a US$1.2 million production budget to become one of the most profitable horror movies of all time. The feature earned a global haul of US$104 million, spawning several sequels that centred on trapped victims of notorious serial killer John 'Jigsaw' Kramer trying to survive through physical or psychological torture. The first follow-up, titled Saw II , debuted one year later in October 2005, with the last instalment being 2023's Saw X . An 11th film was previously in development for September 2025, but is no longer on the release slate after conflicting producer visions stalled the process. Veteran actor Tobin Bell was originally set to reprise his role as Jigsaw, and while it's unclear how things will now pan out, Billy the Puppet — the ventriloquist dummy used in the films by Jigsaw — assured fans that 'the game is never over'. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Atomic Monster Blumhouse productions James Wan Saw
Screen Geek
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Blumhouse Acquires 'Saw' Rights From Twisted Pictures
The Saw film franchise will reportedly no longer be under the control of Twisted Pictures. The production label, which was rumored to have been suffering from disputes that kept Saw 11 from happening, is said to be giving their share of rights to Blumhouse. As shared via Deadline, this would be 'a deal that will bring James Wan back in touch with the mega horror IP he created.' The outlet adds that 'Blumhouse essentially is taking over the IP's ownership from Twisted's Mark Burg and Oren Koules.' For those wondering how Lionsgate will fit into all of this, the studio is said to 'continue to be involved as a partner and, in fact, owns 50% of the franchise.' This means Blumhouse would now own the other 50% of the franchise alongside Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures will no longer have any stake in the franchise. With that said, it's unknown what plans they could have for the franchise. There's no eleventh film in development at this time, but if Blumhouse takes over the rights, it's likely that development will be fast-tracked. Interestingly, Blumhouse recently merged with James Wan's label Atomic Monster, which means that the Saw franchise would be going back to Wan. While he's been credited as an executive producer on all of the sequels, Wan was really only ever involved with the original movie, which he directed for a release in 2004. The most recent installment in the franchise, Saw X , was a huge success with fans, critics, and at the box office. While an eleventh film seemed inevitable, things have been complicated, so one can hope that Blumhouse's reported acquisition of the rights will allow the franchise to get back on track. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional Saw updates as we have them. For now, this is a major development for one of horror's biggest franchises, and it'll be exciting to see what comes of it going forward.
