M3GAN’s tantalizing plans for a spinoff movie called SOULM8TE could be setting up a cinematic universe to rival the highest-grossing horror franchise of all time. Last year, M3GAN arrived as a surprise hit when its novel high-concept premise and delightfully campy tone struck a chord with audiences. Its story of an engineer who designs a babysitting robot to help her raise her niece set up both a Chopping Mall-style techno slasher and an ultraviolent meditation on the dangers of artificial intelligence. In all its ludicrousness, M3GAN actually makes some strong points about humanity’s increasing reliance on unreliable technology.

When M3GAN became a massive box office success, it didn’t take long for Universal to start work on a direct sequel. Titled M3GAN 2.0 and scheduled for release on June 27, 2025, the sequel will see the return of screenwriter Akela Cooper and stars Allison Williams and Violet McGraw. But that’s not the only M3GAN follow-up that the studio is working on. There’s also a spinoff in development entitled SOULM8TE that could end up kicking off a cinematic universe that’s big enough to take down the highest-grossing horror franchise in Hollywood.

M3GAN’s New Spinoff Puts A Fresh Spin On The Story’s Premise

SOULM8TE is about a robot filling a romantic role, not a parental role

Scheduled to be released on January 2, 2026, SOULM8TE will be directed by You Are Not My Mother’s Kate Dolan, who’s rewriting an initial script draft by Rafael Jordan. Although it takes place in the M3GAN universe, SOULM8TE isn’t relying on the M3GAN brand to get butts in seats; instead, it’s relying on what made M3GAN such a hit in the first place: its hook. The plot will follow a grieving widower who buys an A.I. android to help him cope with the loneliness surrounding his wife’s death – and, of course, the robot will take a deadly turn.

SOULM8TE is being pitched as a modern sci-fi spin on the classic erotic thrillers of the ‘90s. Suffice to say, it won’t just rehash the story of M3GAN; it’s taking the central premise of M3GAN and putting a totally fresh spin on it. This is the right way to do a cinematic universe. Most attempted cinematic universes plan a boatload of spinoffs built around characters who can’t sustain an entire movie, like Kraven the Hunter. But the M3GAN universe is putting originality before brand recognition, capitalizing on what’s interesting about this story world, not what an underestimated audience might recognize.

The M3GAN Universe’s Focus On Original Ideas Could Make It Even Bigger Than The Conjuring Universe

The Conjuring Universe is successful, but it has limited longevity

Currently, the highest-grossing horror franchise (by far) is The Conjuring Universe. Between the mainline series and its spinoffs, The Conjuring Universe has raked in over $2 billion at the box office. It’s essentially the MCU of the horror genre – and seemingly unbeatable. But M3GAN’s new spinoff plans could be setting up a new horror cinematic universe to rival The Conjuring Universe. While The Conjuring Universe has found plenty of success with its possessed dolls and freelance exorcists, its longevity is limited, because its storytelling is repetitive and formulaic.

While the Annabelle and The Nun series have been dependable moneymakers so far, they’re let down by their cliché-ridden scripts and focus on characters who can’t sustain their own movie. Eventually, just like with the MCU, audiences will stop turning up for the same old Conjuring Universe content. With SOULM8TE, M3GAN is exploring an original spin on the central hook of the franchise, swapping out a robot filling a parental role for a robot filling a romantic role, which could make it even more popular than The Conjuring Universe.

SOULM8TE Could Be The First Of Many M3GAN Spinoffs

This is just the tip of the iceberg

If it’s successful, then SOULM8TE could just be the beginning. The possibilities are endless for different M3GAN spinoffs revolving around different characters inviting A.I. into their lives and facing deadly consequences for it. They could do a movie about a robot friend called P4L; they could do a movie about a robot housekeeper called M4ID; they could do a movie about robot pet care called DOGS1TTER – the sky is the limit for the M3GAN cinematic universe.

Obviously, it all depends on the success of SOULM8TE. If SOULM8TE bombs at the box office, then there won’t be much hope for M4ID or DOGS1TTER. But if it can capture the same campy fun as M3GAN, and use its horror story to explore the dangers of technology as effectively as M3GAN, then it should be just as successful. The M3GAN cinematic universe has the potential to be Chopping Mall meets Black Mirror.