MOVIE NEWS – The trailer sparked concern online: is M3GAN 2.0 ditching horror in favor of comedy? Director Gerard Johnstone reassures fans — the killer android still knows how to unsettle, even if she gets a few laughs along the way.

Ever since the first trailer for M3GAN 2.0 dropped, online forums have been buzzing with concern. Many longtime fans worry that the sequel might drift too far into action-comedy territory, abandoning the eerie tone of the original. But director Gerard Johnstone has made it clear in an FSX magazine interview: “This time we definitely leaned more into action-comedy, but the original horror DNA is still there. M3GAN still takes herself seriously. We had fun with that. You just never know if you can trust her. You can’t be sure she’s telling the truth. And honestly, you don’t even know if she’s truly self-aware or just a very clever algorithm.”

Johnstone’s comments also address fears that M3GAN might have been turned into a squeaky-clean hero. In the new story, she plays the protector role against a more advanced and dangerous robot named Amelia, but her motives remain ambiguous. While she’s fiercely loyal to her now-teenage companion Cady (Violet McGraw), her distrust and cold behavior toward her creator Gemma (Allison Williams) haven’t changed. And when it comes to side characters… well, let’s just say M3GAN doesn’t follow the Geneva Convention.

The sequel builds on the themes of AI ethics, identity, and control introduced in the first film, but keeps the fear factor intact — with some added emotional complexity.

M3GAN 2.0 – in US theaters June 26, 2025