M3GAN was a surprise box office hit in January, as the horror film quickly became incredibly popular with audiences after an intense social media campaign. The horror movie especially gained popularity after the release of its first trailer, which featured a preview of this wild dance sequence. What seems to have really attracted the viewers of the film is the banal tone, which is very reminiscent of classic and scary films. However, the final product was meant to be “much bigger” and apparently you can blame the guys for the changes they made.
Akela Cooper, who wrote the screenplay for M3GANrecently revealed to the Los Angeles Times that the film will not mince words when it comes to his blood. Cooper says it’s because Universal wants to maximize its potential audience after its marketing campaign, which even had fans talking to the killer doll, became popular with teens online. The writer detailed:
No nuances for Universal, I love them and understand that once the trailer goes viral the kids are into it and you want them to see it. There should be an unrated version at some point. … I heard it was in the books. But yes, it was much bloodier. His body count in the script was higher than in the film. he was not a Gabriel [in ‘Malignant’]large-scale massacre, but killed a lot of other people, including some characters that James said, “I like what you did to those people, but I want them to live.” I was ruthless, but again, that’s me. My humor is extremely black.
When it comes to modern horror fare, a number of studios have been looking at ways to expand the network for potential audiences. And to be honest, it makes sense from a business perspective. However, many probably prefer the gory path and success of horror movies like Barbarian Yup x help demonstrate this notion. At this point, some are probably advocating a reduction in the R rating by M3GAN. And while the film we received was entertaining, you can’t help but wonder what the film would have been like with a few more deaths.
Of course, while Akela Cooper didn’t get the scary cut she initially expected, it’s another win for her, following her 2021 success. Smart. M3GAN earned double its expected opening weekend, earning $30 million early on against a $12 million budget. Worldwide, the film grossed $134.5 million within weeks of its release. The first horror film of 2023 was also a critical success, earning praise for its tone, writing and performances. saltAllison Williams also makes her return to the horror genre with this production and performs well.
There are plenty of upcoming horror movies that are sure to provide plenty of gore and gore that some may be looking for. Still, it’s hard not to think about what could have been when it comes to Blumhouse’s new Killer Doll movie. Also, we should be thankful that what we got only added to this incredible horror film streak we experienced.
M3GAN is currently playing in theaters across the country, so make sure you catch it on the big screen while you can. It’s likely that Akela Cooper’s film will be available to stream using a Peacock subscription at some point (and hopefully an R-rated cut hits the streamer as well). For more information on other films hitting theaters this year, check out our 2023 film release schedule.
Source: Cinemablend
