Horror at the Box Office: M3gan 2.0 Malfunctions
Falling far below expectations, M3gan 2.0 grossed $10.2 million in its opening weekend, finishing in fourth place. In comparison, the original M3gan (2022) earned $30 million in its first three days. Expectations for this sequel were closer to $20 million, but it mustered only half that.
The shift from horror to action could be to blame for M3gan 2.0 failing to excite audiences, or it could be the stiff competition of the summer season. The original M3gan was released in January, a relative box office dead zone compared to summer. Mediocre reviews didn’t help, either.
Universal and Blumhouse are now in a tough position. They’re already planning to release a spinoff, Soulmate, in 2026, and were undoubtedly planning a third M3gan film as well.
Maybe they will wait to see how Soulmate performs before moving forward with any other projects. M3gan 2.0‘s worldwide gross so far is about $17 million, which isn’t terrible for a $25 million budget film. Realistically, though, this movie’s probably going to make a small profit at best.
In a respectable second weekend, 28 Years Later grossed $9.7 million, just half a million shy of M3gan 2.0. That was enough for a fifth place finish. The threequel has earned $50 million domestically and $103 million worldwide on a budget of $60 million.
28 Years Later has blown past the total grosses of the previous movies ($82 million for 28 Days, $72 million for 28 Weeks), although that’s before taking ticket price inflation into account. In any case, 28 Years Later has performed very well, especially considering the long gap between sequels. A fourth installment is on the way. The 28 Days franchise is displaying staying power and enduring cultural relevance.
What about M3gan? Was the first movie’s success a fluke? Will anyone care about her in twenty years? Things aren’t looking good right now, although M3gan 2.0‘s apparent campiness (I haven’t seen it yet) could make it a candidate for a future cult following. Also, I think a Chucky vs. M3gan movie (both characters are co-owned by Universal Pictures) could do solid business.
Looking Ahead
The next major horror release is I Know What You Did Last Summer on July 18th. July isn’t a big month for new horror movies. It’s the calm before the storm. August, September, and (of course) October have plenty of new titles. I’ve listed the most notable in my mid-year review.
Credit to Box Office Mojo for the figures cited.
