M3GAN was something of a surprise hit when it dropped in theaters at the beginning of the year, the horror movie about an AI doll that takes its role as protector a bit too seriously really hit the mark for fans, so the fact that M3GAN is being given a sequel is certainly not a shock, though the speed with which was given the green light perhaps was. Still, M3GAN’s director promises this isn’t simply about the money.
Speaking with ScreenRant M3GAN director Gerald Johnstone says that ultimately the question going into any movie, regardless of whether or not it’s a sequel, is figuring out why it needs to exist. Why he doesn’t give a great deal of information about what M3GAN 2 might be about, it seems clear the plan is to take the sequel in a slightly different direction, and not simply rehash the story of the first movie. He explained…
Well, I think when you make a movie, it doesn’t matter if it’s a sequel or whatever, it’s like, ‘Does this have a reason for being?’ ‘Does this have something to say?’ And you can’t just do it just to make more money, right? It’s not just that it’s always the dropping off point, it’s there has to be a reason for it. And so, certainly my conversations with the producers is largely stems from “What is this about?” And if the first movie was about parenting in the 21st century, how do we evolve that conversation? And there is just so much.
At the end of the day, every movie is actually about making more money. Franchise filmmaking has become the order of the day simply because an audience that has spent their money on one movie is more inclined to do so again. Having said that, we’ve seen plenty of sequels fail because money was clearly their only reason to exist. You have to give an audience something, some sort of compelling story to make them continue to care.
While we may not have any specifics on what that new story could be here, Johnston hints that the continually evolving world of AI could be that entry point. While we’re certainly not seeing AI on par with M3GAN yet, that world is growing quickly, so there will certainly be stories to tell when the sequel is ready. Johnstone continues…
The great thing about making a film with AI themes is that they keep growing and evolving, and they keep impacting society in unexpected and absurd ways. So that’s really how I think we stay fresh and relevant, but at the same time understanding what really worked about the first movie. And is that ultimately it was really fun, just the fun, entertaining, absurd ride.
It will certainly be interesting to see where M3GAN 2 takes its story. While the sequel was announced fast, there is apparently no rush in actually making M3GAN 2, as everybody wants to get it right, In the end, as long as the new movie gives fans something new, while also providing more of the somewhat bonkers story of the original film, it’s a safe bet the movie will bring in that money that it’s also looking for.
