The horror flick dropped on January 6th, earning $33.7 million at the box office domestically, making it the most successful film to have been released during the first week of a new year since The Devil Inside debuted back in 2012.
The feat also marks the best debut of an original picture since Nope hit theaters back in July. If it weren’t for the overwhelming popularity of Avatar: The Way of Water, M3GAN might be the most talked about movie of the Winter season, despite the huge discrepancy in the budget for both productions. This has garnered high praise for the marketing team at Universal as well as the film’s writer (Aleka Cooper) and director (Gerald Johnstone). In addition to attracting favorable commentary from media outlets such as Rotten Tomatoes and the New York Times, the production team has already been given the green light for a sequel to what has become an instant cult classic.
M3GAN (an acronym that means Model 3 Generative Android) stars Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, and Jenna Davis; the storyline follows a young orphan girl named Cady who gets befriended by the prototype for a robot doll created by her Aunt Gemma. The doll is designed to pattern itself after the behavior of humans that it comes in contact with it. This doll’s main objective is to protect Cady emotionally and physically, but things go haywire when the M3GAN becomes overly protective of her friend. Thus igniting a suspenseful killing spree.
M3GAN has been in the theaters for approximately two weeks, and it has earned $90 million globally. Amid all the accolades, several critics have begun to rank it amongst the best horror films of all time. The movie’s success has also landed Aleka Cooper’s name on the radar of fans and media outlets worldwide. The Missouri native was previously listed on the “Screenwriters to Watch” list for 2021 by Variety.