The sequel to “M3GAN,” titled “M3GAN 2.0,” is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 27, 2025. This comes a few years after the animated doll made a splash with audiences in early 2022. If you need a refresher on the original film, there’s a recap video on Looper that highlights the key points. “M3GAN” features a doll named M3GAN, portrayed by Amie Donald with the voice of Jenna Davis, alongside her creator, Gemma (played by Allison Williams, notable for her roles in “Girls” and “Get Out”), and her owner and best friend, Cady (Violet McGraw).

Wondering why “M3GAN” is quickly getting a sequel? The reason is straightforward: the first movie was a massive hit with viewers. For Universal Pictures, the main appeal lies in its financial success. According to BoxOfficeMojo, “M3GAN” was produced with a modest budget of $12 million and astonishingly grossed almost $182 million worldwide, making it a financial triumph.

We’ll delve into the critical reception shortly, but the film’s marketing was, undoubtedly, highly effective. Allison Williams gave an interview at the American Girl doll store in New York, while M3GAN’s dances to “Walk The Night” by Skatt Bros went viral on social media. The trailer itself generated substantial buzz. Upon its release in January 2022, the movie introduced audiences to a new “Gen Z horror icon,” and critics embraced this campy yet entertaining horror film with enthusiasm.

Right here at Looper, “M3GAN” earned a rating of 7 out of 10 with our reviewer saying that the movie is “an entertaining black comedy with several fantastic set pieces” and that it “takes its silly premise seriously, which makes it even more enjoyably ridiculous.” Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie earned an astonishing 93% average with a critical consensus that declares, “Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, ‘M3GAN’ is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills.” 

“There’s a different, far more substantial movie lurking within, yet the virtues of efficiency, clarity, surprise, and wit that enliven the one that’s actually onscreen leave its merely implied substance tantalizingly unformed,” Richard Brody raved in The New Yorker, and Jason Zinoman agreed in the New York Times: “While there are some hints at social commentary on how modern mothers and fathers use technology to outsource parenting, this movie is smart enough to never take itself too seriously.” Over at TheWrap, William Bibbiani wrote, “Johnstone’s film captures the same alchemical blend of heart, humor and havoc you find only rarely, in crossover classics like ‘Gremlins,’ and it yields more entertainment than most would-be blockbusters.”

This is just a small sampling of the solid reviews, but you get it: “M3GAN” was a runaway success, and there’s every reason to believe that “M3GAN 2.0” will follow in its footsteps both with critics and at the box office. Again, it releases on June 27, and you can watch the first movie on Starz or buy or rent it on major platforms.