Overview

• Thursday night previews generated $1.5 million in North America, a 46 percent decline from the original’s $2.8 million launch
• Critics rated the sequel 57 percent on Rotten Tomatoes while audiences awarded it an 84 percent score and a B+ CinemaScore
• The sequel transitions M3GAN from a horror antagonist into a reluctant hero as she confronts a military-grade android built from her stolen AI code
• Director Gerard Johnstone and star-producer Allison Williams have expressed ambitions for a third installment and suggested the franchise could extend up to five films
• The film’s narrative and reception have fueled conversations around AI ethics, oversight and the risks of weaponizing autonomous technology