Frightening M3GAN Trailer Brings the Killer Doll to Life

Deadly dolls have been a staple of horror cinema for decades, but based on the new trailer for the upcoming horror film M3GAN, the subgenre is about to be taken to an entirely new level. With James Wan serving as a producer, and with his films often pushing boundaries within the horror space, no matter what we might think M3GAN will be, we’ll surely be witnessing an entirely unexpected adventure. This first trailer alone offers up more unsettling imagery than other films, sparking both excitement and unease in audiences. Check out the first trailer for M3GAN below before it hits theaters on January 13, 2023.

From the most prolific minds in horror — James Wan, the filmmaker behind the Saw, Insidious, and The Conjuring franchises, and Blumhouse, the producer of the Halloween films, The Black Phone, and The Invisible Man — comes a fresh new face in terror. M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out‘s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.

When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House), Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems — a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.

Produced by Jason Blum and James Wan, M3GAN is directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant, The Nun 2) based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan.

The film also stars Ronny Chieng (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will & Grace), Jen Van Epps (Cowboy Bebop), Lori Dungey (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition), and Stephane Garneau-Monten (Straight Forward).

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse present an Atomic Monster production in association with Divide/Conquer. The film’s executive producers are Allison Williams, Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath.

M3GAN hits theaters on January 13, 2023.

Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!