A high-tech robot doll in a horror movie — what could go wrong?
On Tuesday, Universal Pictures debuted the first trailer for M3GAN, starring Allison Williams as a roboticist for a toy company who designs a full-sized A.I. doll named M3GAN. The robot grows extremely protective over her grieving niece (played by The Haunting of Hill House‘s Violet McGraw).
“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,” reads an official synopsis for the film. “Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma, M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.”
Gemma becomes the guardian of her orphaned 8-year-old niece Cady and decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady to keep her company — leading to deadly outcomes.
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Universal Pictures
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“Ever since I was little, I dreamed of this perfect toy that would protect a kid from ever feeling lonely or sad,” Gemma tells Cady in the trailer.
Gemma explains to M3GAN that her goal “is to protect Cady from harm, both physical and emotional,” and the pair initially appear to get along well, dancing and playing together.
However, Gemma’s colleagues grow concerned that both Cady and M3GAN may develop “emotional connections that are too hard to untangle,” and when M3GAN provides unwanted parenting advice during a dinner conversation, the android refuses to turn off and quickly proves unyielding.
Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures
“Don’t worry, Cady, I won’t let anything harm you,” M3gan tells Cady in the trailer, as scenes show her chasing a bully through the woods. “Ever again.”
The trailer, set to Taylor Swift‘s 2019 song “It’s Nice to Have a Friend,” shows the extreme and violent lengths M3GAN goes to in the name of keeping her human companion safe, leading to a confrontation between her and Gemma, as well as some creepy dance moves from the doll herself.
Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures
The film is directed by Gerard Johnstone and produced by James Wan, who has also produced similar toy-themed horror movies like Annabelle in addition to his work with the Saw franchise. Blumhouse’s Jason Blum also produces the film from a screenplay by Akela Cooper, who wrote last year’s Malignant.
In addition to Williams and McGraw, M3GAN stars Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Lori Dungey and Stephane Garneau-Monten.
M3GAN is in theaters Jan. 13.
