'M3GAN' Expects $20M Opening Weekend

Horror favourite, The Killer Doll hits theaters January 6th everywhere.

Horror films will once again light up the box office in 2023. It all starts with Blumhouse and Universal's M3GAN, which opens Friday, January 6. Now, after a very interesting marketing campaign, the film revolves around an artificial intelligence sidekick that goes horribly wrong and hopes for a terribly good opening weekend. M3GAN earned an estimated $17-$20 million in its opening weekend from 3,400 theaters in North America.

This is great news for the new horror film, as it only cost $12 million to make. In classic Blumhouse fashion, this means that M3GAN could almost double its budget in a single weekend if this estimate is correct. "Avatar" may dominate the box office again in its fourth week of release this weekend, but M3GAN is another great example of the importance of marketing. At first glance, the movie can only be seen as a Chucky carbon copy. Universal, however, has turned M3GAN into a can't-miss theater experience with its fantastic trailers and publicity stunts. Similar to last year's smash Smile, M3GAN has taken its marketing to the next level, now the famous doll is taking over on Twitter with Chucky and the army of M3GANS An NFL game. You never know what M3GAN is going to do next, which only makes it more exciting.

While we're talking about the film itself, the released trailer and various clips do an excellent job of showcasing its unique corky tone. It's a fun horror-comedy type of event, but things like M3GAN dancing down the hallway or dogs crawling toward their next victim can fade away pretty quickly. However, director Gerald Johnstone and producer James Wing seem to play out the absurdity of their plot completely straight-forward. M3GAN may seem playful and innocent, but she means business. She's not afraid to rip people's ears off and is a master at threatening people. When you combine that with memorable marketing, it's not hard to see why the movie was a wild weekend success. Universal and Blumhouse know they have the next major horror franchise on their hands. The numbers support this. M3GAN is here to stay, with the killer doll looking to join Blumhouse's other major franchises like Insidious and Paranormal Activity as the new box office queen.

M3GAN opens in theaters January 6, starring Allison Williams and Purple McGraw. While we wait for the terrifying new idol to dominate the box office, you can check out M3GAN's trailer below.