M3GAN became an unexpected January hit at the box office, as the horror film quickly became incredibly popular among viewers after a powerful social media campaign. The horror movie became especially popular after the release of the first trailer, which had a teaser scene with a wild dance. What seems to have really attracted viewers to the film is the mannered tone, which is very reminiscent of classic creepy movies. However, the final product was supposed to be “a lot bloodier”, and apparently you can blame the teenagers for the changes made to it.
Akela Cooper, who wrote the screenplay for M3GAN, recently told the LA Times that the film is not going to take a beating when it comes to blood. Cooper claims this is because Universal wants to maximize its potential audience after their marketing campaign, which even allowed fans to talk to a killer doll, became popular among teenagers online. The screenwriter told in detail:
Not a shadow of Universal, I love them, and I understand that as soon as the trailer went viral, teenagers interfered with it, and you want them to be able to see it. At some point, an unrated version should appear. … I’ve heard it’s in the books. But yes, it was much bloodier. The number of her bodies in the script was more than in the movie. It wasn’t Gabriel’s mass murder [in “Malignant”], but she killed a bunch more people, including a couple of characters that James was like, “I like what you did to these people, but I want them to live.” I was merciless, but then again, it’s me. My humor is very black.
When it comes to some modern horror films, a number of studios are looking for ways to expand the network to a potential audience. And frankly, it makes sense from a business perspective. However, many probably prefer the bloody path, and the success of horror films such as “The Barbarian” and “X” helps to prove this opinion. At the moment, some probably support the R-rated version of M3GAN. And while the movie we got was interesting, you can’t help but wonder what a movie with a few extra bloody murders would be like.
Of course, even if Akela Cooper didn’t get the terrifying haircut she originally planned, this is another victory for her after the success of the “Malignant” 2021. M3GAN earned twice as much as predicted in the first weekend, earning $30 million on a budget of $12 million. Worldwide, the film grossed $134.5 million in a few weeks after its premiere. The first horror film of 2023 was also a success with critics, earning praise for the tone, script and execution. Allison Williams from Get Out returns to the horror genre in this production, and she plays great.
There are many upcoming horror movies that are sure to provide a lot of blood and gore that some may be looking for. However, it’s hard not to think about what might have been when it comes to the new killer doll movie from Blumhouse. Again, we should be grateful that what we have received only further contributes to this incredible string of scary movies that we have experienced.
M3GAN is currently in theaters nationwide, so make sure you see it on the big screen while you still can. Most likely, at some point, Akela Cooper’s film will be available for streaming on a Peacock subscription (and let’s hope that the R-rated version will also get to the streamer). For more information about other films that will be released in theaters this year, check out our 2023 movie release schedule.
