The first trailer for M3GAN spinoff SOULM8TE has been revealed, several months after the movie’s release was pulled from the schedule. M3GAN, which features an A.I. doll who becomes very overprotective of their companion, was a viral hit when it released in January 2023. Its mix of horror and comedy – and dance scenes that sparked countless TikTok edits – drove it to an impressive $181.8 million at the box office on a budget of just $12m
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That inevitably led to it becoming a franchise: first there was M3GAN 2.0, which released last year, and now there’s SOULM8TE. The film, a Sci-Fi erotic thriller, follows an engineer who, after the death of his wife, tests out a new A.I. companion for a tech company. He tries to turn it into a true soulmate, when things inevitably go very, deadly wrong. Check out the trailer below:
What Happened With SOULM8TE’s Release?
If things had gone according to plan, then we wouldn’t be getting a SOULM8TE trailer right now… because we’d have had the full movie long ago. It was originally scheduled for release in theaters on January 2, 2026, before later being moved back a week. In December 2025, however, less than a month before it was due to be released, Universal pulled it from the release calendar completely, with the studio reportedly seeking a new distributor for the movie
That came after the disappointing box office performance of M3GAN 2.0. The film shifted from January to a summer release slot, and moved into more of a Terminator 2-esque action movie style, but failed to connect with audiences. The first film was really built on word-of-mouth and such a strong presence on social media, and that’s like lightning in a bottle that’s very hard to repeat, especially coming over two years later when people have moved on. It received more mixed reviews, and made just $39m on a budget in the range of $15-25m.
SOULM8TE aims to offer something different: this is the franchise’s first R-Rated offering, skewing more into being a sexy, violent thriller than it is leaning into comedy (though there will still be some of that), which the trailer does a good job of showcasing. Whether that’s enough to find an audience is to be seen, but it might have an easier task given its new release plan. Instead of a theatrical release, SOULM8TE is going direct to the consumer, releasing on digital platforms from August 1, though still via Universal. Speaking to EW, director Kate Dolan said:
“As a filmmaker, my love is movies and you’re always hoping for a theatrical release. But I have to say, some of my favorite movies that really made me fall in love with cinema, for the most part, I saw all of them on my TV playing on different channels or on a DVD or VHS. My experience of those films was no less from watching it at home. There’s such an audience for this movie, whether it be at home or in the theater.”
If the M3GAN franchise is to continue beyond this, then SOULM8TE will need to find such an audience at home. If it’s a success on digital, then perhaps there will be a new way forward, rather than pulling the plug entirely
SOULM8TE will be released on digital platforms on August 1, 2026
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