M3GAN: release date, reviews, trailer and everything we know about the horror movie

M3GAN doll glancing off to the side
Meet M3GAN, your scariest best friend. (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

M3GAN is here to be "your new best friend," which is already concerning from the get-go. With horror dolls like Annabelle and Chucky dominating popular culture, M3GAN is another creepy toy joining their ranks. 

The upcoming spooky movie is directed by Housebound's Gerard Johnson, with Blumhouse's Jason Blum and Saw and Annabelle director James Wan serving as producers, so there are some big horror names attached to the project.

Fans are already hyped about M3GAN after the doll has gone viral on Twitter, with many people reposting clips of the doll dancing and generating a lot of buzz.

James Wan spoke to Empire about the movie where he described it as "Annabelle meets The Terminator." If that isn't enough to intrigue you, you can read even more below...

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M3GAN release date

M3GAN, one of the first new movies of 2023, is now playing in the US and releases in the UK on January 13. 

So far there's no word on when or where the movie will be available on streaming sites, but we'll let you know if that changes.

M3GAN plot

The official plot for M3GAN is: 

"The story follows Gemma (Allison Williams), a brilliant roboticist at a toy company who uses artificial intelligence to develop the Model 3 Generative Android (M3GAN), a life-like doll programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. 

"After unexpectedly gaining custody of her orphaned niece Cady, Gemma enlists the help of the M3GAN prototype — a decision that has unimaginable consequences."

M3GAN was written by Akela Cooper, with the story originally conceived of by James Wan.

M3GAN cast

M3GAN stars Jenna Davis and Violet McGraw.

M3GAN is voiced by Jenna Davis and Katie is played by Violet McGraw. (Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Get Out star Allison Williams leads the M3GAN cast as Gemma, a roboticist who gains custody of her niece Katie, played by The Haunting of Hill House's Violet McGraw, so the film's two central cast members are are very familiar with the horror genre.

As for who plays M3GAN herself, the creepy android is voiced by Jenna Davis, a singer, actor and YouTuber. This is her first time delving into the horror genre.

Additional cast includes Brian Jordan Alvarez as Cole, Jen Van Epps as Tess, Stephane Garneau-Monten as Kurt, Lori Dungey as Celia and Ronny Chieng as David.

M3GAN trailer

The M3GAN trailer has got everyone talking, which means it's done its job. In it, we're introduced to the film's cast and of course, M3GAN herself, who seems fairly normal at first, hanging out with Katie and even busting some dance moves, but it soon turns into absolute carnage.

The trailer also features a horror-themed remix of It’s Nice to Have a Friend by Taylor Swift, and you can take a look below...

Another trailer is set to the tune of a Billie Eilish track. Check it out here: 

M3GAN reviews — what the critics are saying

M3GAN is an early hit in 2023, as Rotten Tomatoes currently has the movie as "Fresh" with an overwhelmingly positive score of 95% from critics. The consensus from the review site reads, "Unapologetically silly and all the more entertaining for it, M3GAN is the rare horror-comedy that delivers chuckles as effortlessly as chills."

How long is M3GAN?

M3GAN has a runtime of one hour and 42 minutes.

What is M3GAN rated?

M3GAN has an PG-13 rating in the US and a 15 in the UK for "violent content and terror, some strong language and a suggestive reference."

M3GAN director

Gerard Johnstone is the director of M3GAN. This is Johnstone's first major movie, with his previous credits include directing multiple episodes of the TV shows The New Legends of Monkey, Terry Teo and The Jaquie Brown Diaries. His previous sole movie credits was the 2014 horror movie Housebond.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.


She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress