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Horror fans may be waiting a very long time to see upcoming M3GAN spin-off movie SOULM8TE, as the movie has reportedly been pulled from release.
The upcoming erotic thriller has been dropped by Universal Pictures, with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster now looking for a new distributor, as reported by Deadline. SOULM8TE was supposed to release in January 2026, but now it is unclear when, or if ever, it will hit screens.
The movie, directed by You Are Not My Mother helmer Kate Dolan, was announced way back in June 2024, set to take place in the M3GAN universe. The film stars Evil Dead Rise's Lily Sullivan as an AI bot acquired by a recently widowed man to cope with the loss of his recently deceased wife. However, in an attempt to create a sentient partner, he ends up turning a harmless lovebot into a deadly soulmate. Claudia Doumit, Isabelle Bonfrer, Emma Ramos, and Sydney Blackburn also star.
However, we can't say the news comes as a huge surprise, as it was clear that something was wrong. The film was due to hit screens in a matter of weeks, but Universal had not even released its first trailer or even first-look images. Footage from the movie was shown behind closed doors at CinemaCon in Spring 2025, giving attendees a look at the AI bot arriving and quickly becoming a little too obsessed with its owner, but the clip never made it online.
SOULM8TE being pulled from release might have something to do with Blumhouse's latest string of horror flops. Despite the first M3GAN movie stirring up $180 million at the worldwide box office and earning a cult following, its 2025 sequel, M3GAN 2.0, pulled in just $39 million. Similarly, The Black Phone 2 also failed to beat the original movie. However, despite negative reviews, Five Nights at Freddy's 2 is having a decent theatrical run, earning over $175 million so far, marking the biggest December opening ever for Universal.
Paramount’s upcoming chimp-themed horror movie has moved into SOULM8TE's release date, with the future of the M3GAN spin-off still hanging in the balance. For more, check out our list of the best horror movies, and keep up with upcoming horror movies on the way.
