A sequel to the smash-hit horror M3GAN has reportedly been confirmed, according to Variety.
The as-yet-untitled M3GAN 2 will be released in January 2025, Variety reports.
It also reported the New Zealand-shot film's original stars, Alison Williams and Violet McGraw, will be returning for the killer AI doll's next outing.
Universal has reportedly scheduled the movie to release on January 17, 2025 in the US. There's no word yet on either a New Zealand release date, or whether the project will be filmed in Aotearoa for a second time.
There's also no word if the film's first director, New Zealander Gerard Johnstone, will return, but it is believed Akela Cooper - who wrote the first instalment - will be back on scripting duties.
M3GAN cost US$12m to make, and has already raked in $91m globally. In New Zealand, the film opened at number four in the box office, scaring up over $188k in its first week of release alone.
Producer Jason Blum had already been talking about a sequel before the first film was released.
"After I first saw the movie, we had a good sense that a sequel might really work," Blum told Variety.
"So, we broke our cardinal rule and we started talking about a sequel before the movie was released. I felt so bullish that we started entertaining a sequel earlier than we usually do."
M3GAN director Johnstone told Newshub he also had hopes for a sequel before the film had even been released in Aotearoa.
"When you make something, you put it out there for everyone to either love or hate. That's OK, that's the business. But for the overwhelming majority of people to be really digging it, it's just, that never happens so I'm on a cloud."
The doll's killer dance moves went viral on TikTok after the film's first trailer release. The germ of the dance was brought to life by a talented Kiwi dancer Amie Donald and her tutor, Kylie Norris.
"I just have to hand it to them - those crazy moves, I don't know where that came from but I'm very grateful," said Johnstone.
