Latest news with #M3GAN2
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fast cars vs. killer dolls: ‘F1,' ‘M3GAN 2.0' gear up for box-office showdown
Two major films are revving up for big debuts at the box office for the June 27-29 weekend, with Apple Original Films' ambitious Formula One drama F1: The Movie and Universal's campy horror sequel M3GAN 2.0 each eyeing strong openings. F1 is tracking to debut above $30 million in the U.S., with some forecasts suggesting that the film, starring Brad Pitt as a retired Formula One driver mentoring a rookie (Damson Idris), could start as high as $40 million–$45 million domestically and even race toward $50 million–$60 million if momentum builds. Internationally, where Formula One has a massive fan base, Warner Bros., distributing the film for Apple, is hoping for a $75 million-plus haul across 77 markets. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and carrying a hefty $200 million production budget, global success is key for F1 to justify Apple's gamble on theatrical releases. More from Gold Derby Marge lives! Here are 3 other 'Simpsons' characters that returned from the grave - and 3 who stayed dead 'Squid Game' Season 3: Reviews warn of a divisive WTF sprint to the finish line SEE 'F1: The Movie' reviews: Brad Pitt burns rubber with 'macho panache' in a high-octane thrill ride Meanwhile, M3GAN 2.0 — the sequel to Blumhouse and Universal's viral horror hit — looks poised for a softer but still solid $20 million debut in the crowded summer movie season. The original M3GAN, released in January 2023, shocked industry expectations by opening to $30 million and legging out to $95 million domestically ($180 million worldwide) on a mere $12 million budget, fueled by its viral TikTok dance routines. This time, the PG-13 killer doll movie returns with upgraded thrills and escapist stakes, as the titular AI is rebuilt to stop a humanoid robot aiming for world domination. With a modest $25 million budget, M3GAN 2.0 doesn't need a blockbuster showing to turn a profit. SEE 'M3GAN 2.0' reviews say the sequel is both too much and not enough F1 is expected to dominate the domestic charts, propelled by Pitt's star power, Kosinski's storytelling expertise, and Formula One's global popularity (Lewis Hamilton even serves as a producer). While F1 seems geared to attract older male audiences, M3GAN 2.0 is strongest with younger women and remains a social media sensation. Both films will face heavy competition as Universal's Jurassic World: Rebirth roars into cinemas on July 2, along with holdover hits like Disney/Pixar's Elio and Sony's 28 Years Later. Gold Derby readers predict that F1: The Movie will win the June 27-29 weekend with between $25 million and $50 million domestically. M3GAN 2.0 is the runner-up selection of our oddsmakers. : Director: Joseph KosinskiDistributor: Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.A Formula One driver comes out of retirement to mentor and team up with a younger driver. The action-packed sports drama, starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem, has a running time of two hours, 35 minutes, and is rated PG-13. F1: The Movie is certified "fresh" with a 84 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorbale" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 68 percent. Director: Gerard JohnstoneDistributor: Universal PicturesTwo years after M3GAN's rampage, her creator, Gemma, resorts to resurrecting her infamous creation in order to take down Amelia, the military-grade weapon who was built by a defense contractor who stole M3GAN's underlying tech. The horror sci-fi thriller, starring Allison Williams, Amie Donald, and the voice of Jenna Davis, has a running time of two hours, and is rated PG-13. M3GAN 2.0 is certified "rotten" with a 59 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "mixed" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 54 percent. After strong test audience reactions and early previews, F1 is poised to dominate the box office with a projected opening of over $40 million. M3GAN 2.0 is expected to scare up enough fans for a strong second-place debut, bringing in over $20 million. Meanwhile, Universal's How to Train Your Dragon remains steady in its third week, giving the killer doll some competition as it eyes $20 million as well. The live-action remake has already amassed an impressive $200 million domestically and $376 million worldwide. Rounding out the top five, Disney/Pixar's Elio and Sony's 28 Years Later are set to continue their box office battle from last week. Though the horror sequel took the lead in their initial matchup, the animated family movie is projected to have more staying power, edging out 28 Years Later with both films aiming for $13 million this weekend. Here are Gold Derby's predictions box-office rankings for the top five: 1. F1: The Movie2. M3GAN 2.03. How to Train Your Dragon4. Elio5. 28 Years Later Do you agree or disagree with those rankings? Make your predictions right now — it's fun and easy! Join the box-office discussion in our forums. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Why M3GAN 2.0 could be the biggest FLOP of the year as scathing reviews pour in for horror sequel
It was one of the most anticipated and heavily marketed movies of the year, but M3GAN 2.0 is now shaping up to be 2025's biggest flop. Despite a relentless marketing campaign that's included celebrity tie-ins with the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Trisha Paytas, and Britney Spears, M3GAN 2.0 has so far been savaged by most critics and moviegoers. One review called the action-packed sequel 'shockingly bad' while another said it was '0.0 percent watchable.' 'A sequel that is a horrendous mishmash of ideas and influence, M3GAN 2.0 is occasionally outrageous, but mostly it's derivative, bewildering, and bland,' wrote Mashable. 'Switching genres in a futile effort to justify the series' continued existence, this misbegotten creation is a leaden and aimless bit of cinematic malware,' wrote The Daily Beast in a review titled, 'You'll Be Shocked by How Bad M3GAN 2.0 Is.' 'M3GAN 2.0 simply isn't as much as the first film,' wrote Variety. 'Where the first film was ahead of the curve, M3GAN 2.0 has been made in the thick of the AI explosion and is all too aware of it.' IndieWire complained that the 'sequel swaps AI horror for desperate action-comedy' before criticizing the cringe marketing campaign around it. 'In her first movie, M3GAN was campy enough to become an accidental gay icon,' they wrote. 'Now, in June 2025, Blumhouse is sending her sequel to theaters on a confused wave of Pride-themed marketing so niche it seems likely to undercut the film's PG-13 rating.' Meanwhile, The New York Post said 'the stupid sequel desperately desires is to be campy, gay bar fodder. 'Rocky Horror, it's not. But boy is it rocky; two hours of obnoxiousness with scattered giggles at the doll's dry putdowns.' 'M3GAN 2.0 is exactly 0.0 percent watchable,' added Rolling Stone. 'So the horror doll is now an action hero? Fighting tech bros with kung fu? WTF is going on here?' The movie is also shaping up to disappoint at the box office according to early predictions. Various reports state that M3GAN 2.0 could open at around $15 million to $20 million, which is significantly less than the $31 million that the original opened with. 'I've held off saying this for a while, but the first day of sales confirmed what I feared,' wrote Empire City Box Office. 'I think #M3GAN 2.0 is in some trouble. Horror fans seem upset it's not a horror and I fear others think it's too goofy. Summer is packed. Who is the core audience for this now?' However, it's not all doom and gloom for M3GAN 2.0 just yet. The movie still managed to pull in glowing reviews from The Wrap, Slant, and Empire. A number of fans on social media have also enjoyed the film, with one posting on X (formerly Twitter) that it's 'absurd, over-the-top and just plain fun.' 'M3GAN 2.0 WAS FIRE!' gushed another. 'The action sequences, the humor, the silliness of it all blends together into an endlessly fun experience! 'I loved the chemistry between M3GAN and the rest of the cast and how it explores the dangers of diving too deep into AI.' The first M3GAN was a surprise box office success in 2022, raking in over $226 million from a paltry $12 million budget. It also had a surprisingly high Rotten Tomatoes score of 93 percent, making it a hit with critics and viewers alike. It's unclear if a third M3GAN movie will be made, but an official spin-off titled SOULM8TE is already set for next year. M3GAN 2.0 stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Amie Donald, and Jenna Davis. The action-packed sequel sees killer AI robot doll M3GAN go to war against a military robot called AMELIA in a bid to stop an AI takeover of the world.
Gizmodo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
The Success of ‘M3GAN' Let ‘M3GAN 2.0' Go Even Campier
Horror fans had an idea M3GAN was going to lean into the goofy and surreal aspects of setting a killer doll loose in the world when the trailer showcasing the main character's slice-and-dice dance number dropped. And while the 2022 original was a hit, and contained the expected gore and body count, it caught on mostly for those campy elements: murderous robots can be a lot of fun, actually! M3GAN 2.0 is arriving next week, and star and producer Allison Williams explained to the Hollywood Reporter that the success of M3GAN—particularly relating to how much audiences embraced its tone—gave the team much more confidence to go further in M3GAN 2.0. 'We knew that the characters and the tone from the first movie worked, and that definitely gives you a little bit of confidence in terms of not problem solving for those things anymore,' she said. 'You're sort of beyond that, but we weren't sure about anything else, which is why we tried our very best to perfect all of the newer elements in the movie, including the fact that we were moving into the action genre. That was not even something that we had explicitly set out to do, but it just felt obvious to [director] Gerard [Johnstone, director of both M3GAN movies and screenwriter of M3GAN 2.0] that if there's a second doll, we are going to be in that genre now. So we let ourselves enjoy that experience.' Williams' character, Gemma, is the brainy inventor of M3GAN, and fight scenes are not her natural setting. However, as Williams teased, that's part of what makes M3GAN 2.0's comedy elements work so well. 'There's this meta humor to the idea of Gemma suddenly being in an action movie. It's ridiculous in a hopefully fun way, and we had a lot of fun finding the humor in the mere fact of it while it was happening. It's as unbelievable and as random a series of events for Gemma as it is for an audience watching the movie,' she said. To make it believable, Williams had to make sure Gemma seemed to be taking the ridiculous circumstances she finds herself in as seriously as possible. 'When I am in scenes with M3GAN … if I'm at all winking at this hilarious ride we're on and the camp of it all, it doesn't work anymore. So I was completely aware of the fact that the only successful version of this movie is one where we're all just fully committed to this world and its stakes, and the execution of all of that is everything,' she said. 'The characters themselves can't believe that they're finding this to be their milieu, and they're just going to make the best of it.' M3GAN 2.0 opens June 27.
