‘Soulm8te’ makes dark AI drama a reality: James Wan hints at adult take on M3GAN

Though M3GAN 2.0 has just arrived in theaters, producer James Wan is already planting the seeds for an edgier, more mature installment in the expanding AI horror franchise. SOULM8TE, a spinoff, veers sharply from the PG-13 fun of its predecessor and dives into psychological territory—one colored by loss, fixation, and sensual curiosity.Released in January 2024, SOULM8TE is slated for a theatrical release on January 9, 2026. Under the direction of You Are Not My Mother’s Kate Dolan, the film explores the emotional devastation of a man grieving the loss of his wife and the dangerous path he takes when attempting to fill that void with an AI companion. The cast includes Claudia Doumit (The Boys), David Rysdahl (Oppenheimer), Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead Rise), and Oliver Cooper (Californication).James Wan teases a new kind of horrorIn a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wan described the tone and direction of SOULM8TE, likening it to 1990s erotic thrillers."M3GAN exists in that PG-13 realm and appeals to a younger demographic. But we always knew we had an adult tale to tell," Wan said. "SOULM8TE exists in that realm but is much more adult—sounding like Fatal Attraction, but with robots."The spinoff promises not only a deeper emotional core but also the darkest humor seen so far in the franchise.

While M3GAN became iconic for her sassy one-liners and meme-worthy moments, Wan made it clear that SOULM8TE won’t aim to replicate that same energy.“It’s hard to duplicate M3GAN’s sass, and honestly, we’re not trying to,” he added. “This film has its own voice—more twisted, more adult, and more psychologically intense.”A new identity in a familiar worldAlthough its timeline coincides with that of M3GAN, SOULM8TE will stand alone as a darker, edgier entry in the franchise. Instead of recycling the formula that made M3GAN go viral, the creative team aims to push the boundaries of sci-fi horror by exploring human grief, emotional vulnerability, and the blurred lines between love and obsession—all in the context of cutting-edge technology.