Given the massive commercial and critical successM3GANachieved in 2022, it’s understandable why writer/director Gerard Johnstone and Universal Pictures would want to repeat the formula inM3GAN 2.0. Part of the winning success was tagging the sci-fi horror film as a PG-13 feature to welcome as many viewers as possible, rather than limit ticket sales strictly to adults in an R-rated version. However, after its theatrical release, an unrated version ofM3GANwas released on Peacock, upping the ante in unforgettably fun ways.
WithM3GAN 2.0slated for release on August 09, 2025, Johnstone and Universal should follow suit to give hardcore horror fanatics an unrated version that expands the graphic carnage while reducing the runtime. After all, few things are more disappointing for serious horror fans than sitting through a watered-down version of a director’s original vision. This time around, here’s hoping it won’t take long beforeM3GAN 2.0’s bloody and brutal unrated cut bashes the masses.
Why ‘M3GAN’ Got an Underrated Version, Explained
Released in U.S. theaters in January 2023,M3GANcaptivated audiences with its AI-driven horror story. The plot follows Cady (Violet McGraw), an eight-year-old girl who is orphaned following the death of her parents in a car crash. Taken in by the robotics engineering expert Gemma (Allison Williams),Cady is given a lifelike companion doll named M3GAN, which Gemma hopes will help her deal with her traumatic grief.
Of course, the opposite comes true, with M3GAN’s rapidly growing sentience turning more sinister by the day. As M3GAN oversteps her role as a guardian to protect Cady,the deadly dollgoes on a terrifying death march and kills anyone who poses a threat to the little girl. Yet, when Cady becomes endangered by the AI bot, Gemma and her loved ones try to stop the morbid madness before it’s too late.
‘M3GAN 2.0’ Trailer Transforms the Murderous Doll Into a Horrifying Action Hero
She’s back. And this time…she’s not alone.
Although Johnstone’s original screenplay forM3GANwas much darker and more violent, most graphic scenes were cut out of the theatrical version to accommodate a PG-13 release. PG-13 and horror mix about as well as oil and water, and despite the decision to neuter the violence paying off at the box office (earning $181 million), Johnstone felt that the finished version strayed too far from his original vision. As such, Peacock commissioned an unrated cut, which aimed to restorethe gory violenceomitted from the theatrical cut.
Differences Between ‘M3GAN’s Theatrical and Unrated Versions
For hardcore gore hounds, there’s nothing worse than a horror movie cutting away right after aviolent death occurs onscreen. Many of the edits made to achieve a PG-13 version ofM3GANwere of this variety. Very few story details are changed, if at all. But before analyzing the key differences between versions, it’s worth noting that profane language also required editing in the PG-13 version. For instance, Gemma’s uptight boss,David (Ronny Chieng), spews more profanity-laced tirades in the office in the unrated cut. The increased cursing is hardly noticeable and is merely meant to emphasize David’s demanding nature.
Far more unsettling (and therefore fun for horror fans) is when M3GAN uses the F-word in Cady’s childlike voice at the end of the film, promising to rip Gemma’s head from her “f***ing neck” if Cady enters the kitchen. The threat is unnerving enough, but reciting it in Cady’s voice increases the terror twofold and should have been kept in the theatrical cut. Alas, the F-bomb would have required an R-rating, and the decision was made to nix one of the movie’s most memorable scenes.
Of course,the most substantial edits made to the unrated version involve graphic displays of ultraviolent carnage. Every single death in the unrated version is given more screen time to accentuate the gory nature of each demise. The first example includes Brandon (Jack Cassidy) having his ear torn and gorily stretched, a gruesome shot that was cut from the PG-13 version.
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The wildly entertaining thriller grossed over $181 million at the worldwide box office against a modest budget of $12 million.
Another wicked example includes David’s death via a paper cutter, which features a gore-sodden impalement when the blade bursts through his chest andsprays blood all overhis colleague Kurt (Stephane Garneau-Monten). It not only gives David the death his odious character deserves, but it also delivers the kind of visceral jolt that remains the lifeblood of horror fanatics.
Yet another memorable example includes Lori’s death from a power washer. In the PG-13 cut, the movie cuts away from the grisly aftermath once Lori is struck in the face. The unrated version reinserts the shot of Lori’s gorily mangled face; the kind of money shot horror fans live for. Granted, none of these additions last longer than a second or two, but the gory additions makeM3GANa much more amusing affair for the fiendish. Frankly,M3GAN 2.0needs to do the same.
Why ‘M3GAN 2.0’ Needs an Unrated Cut
By injecting the movie with the originally conceived doses of carnage,M3GANundoubtedly becomes a more fun, vivid, and enjoyable experience for avid horror heads. And it doesn’t sacrifice its runtime to get there. The unrated version is technically six seconds shorter than the theatrical version, dispelling any notion that it’s an extended cut. The unrated adds moments of unremitting violence, but excises extraneous footage to maintain a similar pace and tempo. It’s a win-win for all involved.
Rather than being a cynical cash grab that relies on a few seconds ofphony-looking CGI goreto warrant a new release,M3GAN’s restored footage feels more in line with what Johnstone had initially envisioned, and the results deliver jaw-dropping shock and awe. These weren’t reshoots commissioned post-facto; they were originally crafted scenes for the original cut before the movie was submitted to the MPA for rating.
Once the PG-13-ratedM3GAN 2.0inevitably slays at the box office in June 2025, the hope is that Peacock will do similar and allow Johnstone to re-edit an unrated version. Even if it takes a year to be released,M3GANis more fun and ferocious when it goes off the rails and spills into excessive bloodshed.M3GAN 2.0hits theaters on June 27.
