AI-Powered Dolls Face Off in 'M3GAN 2.0' Trailer
Artificial Intelligence
2 minutes read
This development is so AI-driven! With the evolution of ChatGPT from GPT-3 to GPT-4 and GPT-4o, the sci-fi horror film "M3GAN," which came out before the AI and humanoid robot wave, was ahead of its time. Three years later, the sequel finally drops its first official trailer, bringing back the killer doll in "M3GAN 2.0."
AI before jailbreak (left), AI after jailbreak (right). (Source: Universal)
What I find most intriguing is that M3GAN is designed as a companion robot to help raise children, touching on many family and parenting issues. M3GAN's fierce "diva" persona has even drawn parallels to drag queens, resonating with the LGBTQ community and turning M3GAN into a queer icon. Screenwriter Akela Cooper admitted that this wasn't intentional at first. During the scripting phase, they just didn't want M3GAN to resemble Chucky or Annabelle, since M3GAN had to care for children. (Spoiler alert! Cady's parents die in an accident, and she's taken in by her single aunt Gemma, a robotics scientist, who creates M3GAN to help care for her niece.) It wasn't until later, with costume design and dance sequences, that they leaned into this direction.
Honestly, I wasn't initially interested in "M3GAN," but I watched it out of boredom on a flight. Despite a crying kid nearby, the movie was surprisingly good, leaving me wondering, "What did I miss?!" "M3GAN" was both a critical and commercial success, scoring a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossing $180 million worldwide. It's no surprise the sequel brings M3GAN back to life.
The "M3GAN 2.0" trailer hints at a shift towards a "Terminator"-style sci-fi action film. The trailer reveals that M3GAN's code is stolen by a military company, creating an unstoppable humanoid robot named "AM3LIA." Cady and Gemma must "resurrect" M3GAN, turning the previous villain into a force for good to fight robots with robots.
Interestingly, I recently wrote about not letting robots realize they're robots, as revealing this secret could lead to AI wiping out humanity. "M3GAN 2.0" features AM3LIA wanting to destroy those connected to its creation, reminiscent of the android David from "Alien." Can't wait to find out what happens when "M3GAN 2.0" hits theaters on June 27.
