Horror fans can stream M3GAN at home after surprise digital release

M3GAN
(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

M3GAN was a surprise hit with critics and at the box office as one of the first new movies of 2023 when it was released exclusively in movie theaters in early January. The horror-comedy has a "Certified Fresh" rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and made $30 million dollars in its US opening weekend, and $130 million worldwide since its release. But it had one more surprise up its sleeve, getting an early release date on digital so viewers can watch M3GAN from home online.

As of Tuesday, January 24, M3GAN is available to purchase or rent via digital on-demand on multiple platforms in the US, including Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, YouTube, RedBox and Vudu.

The story of M3GAN follows a robotics engineer, Gemma, at a toy company struggling to take care of her niece Cady after both her parents die. To try and help the situation, Gemma gives Cady a prototype android she’s been working on, M3GAN. However, M3GAN's advanced technology becomes a danger when she begins to develop a mind of her own. The movie stars Allison Wiliams, Violet McGraw and the combined efforts of Amie Donald and Jenna Davis to play M3GAN.

If the box office wasn't enough to show that movie fans have really been enjoying M3GAN, their social media responses sure do.

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Even before the movie came out, M3GAN became an internet sensation for the dance moves that the character shows off in the trailer. It has even gotten the Saturday Night Live parody treatment, with Aubrey Plaza and Chloe Fineman portraying versions of the doll.

The success has led to a sequel, M3GAN 2.0,  already announced, with most of the team coming back.

Even with its rollout on digital in the US, M3GAN is still playing in movie theaters across the country for anyone who wants to see it on the big screen with an audience. In the UK and other locations, a theater is still the only place you can see the movie, as it has yet to make its digital debut.

There's also been no word as to when M3GAN may make its move to a streaming service. It is a Universal Pictures movie, so at least for US audiences, when it does head to streaming it is likely going to do so on Peacock, with a paid Peacock Premium subscription likely required to watch it.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.