Cast, Plot, Release Date: What Do We Know About Megan 2.0?
Every few years, it happens. Some characters from the world of horror have become popular and, in recent years, also viral. We are also seeing several trends happening at the same time. First, they are starting to talk about a sequel, which, in many cases, will also come to fruition. At the same time, we see a wide variety of products and merchandise based on the exact figure, which only raises expectations.
There is no doubt that Megan (or originally: “M3GAN”), that murderous robot doll – a product of AI – is one of the hottest names in recent years. After the massive success of 2022’s Megan, both at the box office and with critics, it was only a matter of time before we got a sequel. So the good news is that a sequel is currently in the works, called Megan 2.0, and even a spin-off that takes the franchise in a surprising direction. Here’s everything we know about the Megane 2, with the transparent bottom line: there’s probably something to look forward to.
That’s How Megan Made History
It was only a matter of time before we got the news of a sequel to “Megan.” The film, launched in early 2023 with a budget of 12 million dollars, grossed more than 180 million dollars worldwide. The box office success may be surprising because the film was released on screens in most of the world at the beginning of January, a relatively weak period. In fact, except for “Megan,” usually the horror films released at this time of the year are ones that the production or distribution companies don’t have too many expectations for, or if you will, they have more significant films in the pipeline.
You can better understand the success when you examine the film or what happened before it. “Megan” is not a perfect film, far from it. However, it received excellent reviews from critics, with approximately 93% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and a weighted critic score (Metascore) of 72% via Metacritic. The film made a lot of buzz, mainly (but not only) thanks to that super viral dance scene we wrote about on the website.
Megan has become a very familiar figure, and some would even say an icon in the making. Since the movie blew up, we’ve been seeing more and more products based on Megan’s character, such as Funko pop figures, action figures (even a near-life-size doll), and costumes.
Megan 2.0 Cast: More Of The Same, It Seems
The first announcement of the Megan sequel came very quickly after Universal Studios realized the magnitude of the film’s success. Over time, the picture regarding the sequel began to take shape when the first more familiar names were announced. Similar to the first film, the director will be Gerard Johnston, and the script will be written again by Akela Cooper, who has also been very busy in horror cinema in recent years (“Malignant,” “The Nun 2,” and more).
The “Megan 2.0” cast has not yet been fully announced, but some first names already exist. The fantastic Alison Williams (“Perfection,” “Get Out”) will return to play Gemma, the robotics engineer who creates Megan. Violet McGraw will again play Cady, Gemma’s niece, who bonds with Megan and discovers that the doll becomes somewhat obsessed with her in a murderous way.
Megan fans will be happy to hear that the team that put the doll together is also staying. In the first movie, as you may remember, Amie Donald played the doll (and yes, also danced that famous dance), and the young Jenna Davis was responsible for dubbing. Both are expected to return for the sequel.
In the meantime, we learned of one new name in the cast: the Ukrainian actress Ivanna Sakno, who you may know from “Let it Snow,” the so-so 2020 thriller.
What is Megan 2.0 Plot?
As of this writing, it has yet to be announced what precisely the sequel will be about. As we remember, the first movie ended quite optimistically (but very disappointing on the plot level, in my opinion), but one that is far from closing the door on Megan’s lovable character. A few months ago, there were rumors that the film would include another doll, but we have not confirmed that yet. It may be that a significant clue to this is one of the official Megan 2.0 posters, we see Megan sitting with all kinds of innocent dolls, like an elephant and other animals, along with the tagline “Friendship Has Evolved.”
And by the way, if you’ve ever seen a Megan vs. Chucky poster on Facebook, Instagram, or another social network, know that it’s just an AI product that’s gone viral. No such film is expected, at least for now, although a meeting between two of the most significant figures of horror cinema could be fascinating.
When Is Megan 2.0 Coming Out?
After the first announcement of “Megan 2.0”, one question must have arisen among horror fans: when exactly will the film hit the screens? The truth is that it is still challenging to provide an answer to this issue. The initial announcement was that the film would hit screens in the United States on January 17, 2025, about a year after the first film. Then we got (so far) two postponements of Megan 2.0 release date: first to May 16 and then to June 27, 2025, the updated date. We are still determining when the Megan 2.0 trailer will come out.
The encouraging news is that these postponements are reportedly unrelated to production issues, such as a situation where the killer doll comes to life and starts murdering everyone on set. It is also probably not related to the relatively large strike that was in Hollywood around the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), the fear of the workers in the industry that it will replace them, and the desire to regulate the use of AI, also so as not to harm the level of products. It could have been ironic, given that Megan 2.0 movie is about artificial intelligence, but the reason is different.
The postponement is probably related to Universal’s desire to maximize profits from the film and the company’s belief that the updated date has the highest potential. The current slot for “Megan 2” is the date that was planned for another very intriguing sequel, “The Black Phone 2”, which has meanwhile been moved to October 2025.
SOULM8TE: An Erotic Spin-Off Of Megan
If you read the guide to creating a horror icon (metaphorically speaking, because we don’t know of such a guide), you will probably find many sections that refer to how you can make the most of the franchise. The idea is that you don’t just make direct sequels but also prequels, spin-offs, remakes, reboots, and god knows what else. It is possible that “Megan” will not become an icon, but recently, we got another piece of news that might increase the chances.
Meet “SOULM8TE”, a Megan spin-off expected to hit theaters on January 2, 2026, although we can’t rule out changes and delays based on the “Megan 2.0” workflow. Kate Dolan (“You Are Not My Mother”) will direct the film. She also co-wrote the screenplay with Ingrid Bisso and Raphael Jordan (actually, it’s more accurate to say that Dolan turned off Jordan’s first script). The film will be produced by James Wan’s “Atomic Monster” and Jason Bloom’s “Bloomhouse” as part of their merger at the beginning of 2024. Remember, these giants collaborated on “Megan” and launched, for example, the disappointing “Night Swim” as part of the first significant product after the merger.
According to the initial announcement, it is an erotic thriller (!) that deals with a man who tries to overcome the loss of his wife with the help of an artificial intelligence doll. In short, according to the insinuations, the film will deal with a sex doll that becomes murderous (!!). The film will be inspired by the erotic thrillers of the 90s, with a modern twist related to our use of AI. According to the director, the film will explore relationships and loneliness. “Despite technological advances, there are enduring human truths we cannot escape. I am looking forward to delving into those depths.”
