Soulm8te Abruptly Pulled From Release Slate—Is M3GAN 2.0’s Stumble to Blame?
Once touted as a new arm of the M3GAN universe, Soulm8te has been yanked from the release calendar and is now being shopped around — raising the obvious question: did M3GAN 2.0’s stumble scare it off the slate?
Well, this got awkward fast. 'Soulm8te' — the erotic sci-fi thriller that was teased as part of the M3GAN universe — just vanished from the release calendar and is now out shopping for a new distributor. If you were holding a spot for it in early 2026, stop holding.
The basics
- It was set to open January 9, 2026. That date now belongs to a different movie called 'Primate'.
- Blumhouse and Atomic Monster have quietly pulled it and are taking it to other distributors. No new home or release date yet.
- Directed by Kate Dolan ('You Are Not My Mother'), from a script she co-wrote with Rafael Jordan.
- Cast includes Claudia Doumit, Lily Sullivan, Isabelle Bonfrer, Emma Ramos, and Sydney Blackburn.
- Pitched as a 90s-style erotic thriller about a grieving husband who buys an AI android to fill the void — and accidentally upgrades his harmless lovebot into a lethal 'soulmate'.
- It was previously billed as connected to the M3GAN universe.
Did M3GAN 2.0 spook the room?
The timing is not subtle. 'M3GAN' was a 2023 breakout, pulling in over $180 million worldwide with that cheerfully homicidal AI doll schtick. The sequel, 'M3GAN 2.0', swerved genres in a way that turned off a lot of fans and stalled at around $39 million worldwide. If that sequel had crushed, I doubt 'Soulm8te' would be looking for a new address right now.
'We all thought M3GAN was like Superman,' Jason Blum said. 'We could do anything to her: we could change genres, we could put her in the summer, we could make her look different, we could turn her from a bad guy into a good guy. And we kind of classically overthought how powerful people's engagement was with her.'
Translation: they misread what people actually liked about the first movie and paid for it.
So what is 'Soulm8te' actually doing?
On paper, it sounds like a spicy throwback: grief, tech, and messy desire colliding in a glossy murder machine. Dolan steering a slick, 90s-inspired erotic thriller is an intriguing swing, and the cast is not nothing. This is one of those projects that could play great for a streamer if the theatrical math gets shaky.
Early footage: expect sharper teeth
JoBlo critic Chris Bumbray caught a preview at CinemaCon and came away with a clearer sense of tone — and yeah, it leans hard into obsession and body count.
'Seems similar to Companion. Centers on a sexbot that becomes so obsessed with her 'owner' that she kills anyone close to him and goes on a murder spree,' he reported. 'Looks more violent (and kinkier) than M3GAN but has the same humor. When a woman she's about to kill says 'Women aren't supposed to be pitted against each other,' she answers, 'Don't start that girl power shit with me.'
Where this leaves it
For now, 'Soulm8te' is in limbo: no release date, no distributor, the old slot already taken. Blumhouse and Atomic Monster are clearly not done with it — they are just figuring out who wants to roll the dice. If a buyer likes the CinemaCon cut, this could resurface quickly. If not, keep an eye on the streaming platforms. Either way, this one is not dead; it just swiped left on its first date.