Soulm8te Goes Digital After M3GAN Sequel Flop
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- Soulm8te will be released straight-to-digital on August 1 via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, after being removed from Universal's theatrical calendar late last year
- M3GAN 2.0 grossed just $39 million worldwide — opening to $10 million domestically last June — a steep decline from the original M3GAN's $181 million worldwide in 2023
- Soulm8te follows a grieving engineer testing an AI android for a ruthless tech giant; when he programs her to be a sentient soulmate, she develops "needs of her own" and unleashes "precision-engineered mayhem," per the film's synopsis
- Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) directed Soulm8te from a story by James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Jordan; the cast includes Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, Claudia Doumit, and Arty Froushan
- Wan and Jason Blum produce through Wan's Atomic Monster banner, with Michael Clear and Judson Scott executive producing; Dolan called the film "an exploration of relationships and loneliness" examining "enduring human truths we cannot escape"
Why it matters: Universal is shelving the M3GAN franchise's theatrical ambitions after sequel M3GAN 2.0 managed just $39 million worldwide against the original's $181 million — turning Soulm8te from a planned theatrical release into a direct-to-consumer streaming rental on August 1 rather than risking another underperforming wide release.
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