What does "M3GAN" stand for?

A name can hide many secrets.

When we first saw the name M3GAN, we knew producer James Wan was about to unleash some new tech horror in theaters. Replacing the "E" with a "3" is classic Internet language, and everyone with a computer in the early 2000s was trying to create codenames that mixed letters and numbers. We're right there, as M3GAN tells the story of a cybernetic doll (played by Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis) who overtakes her safety protocols and becomes a dangerous killing machine. While the movie is great, you might miss the origin of the strange name M3GAN in the blink of an eye. So, now that M3GAN is coming out, let's discuss what the name stands for, and why the doll's creator, Gemma (Allison Williams), decided to name her that.

What Does the Name “M3GAN” Means?

M3GAN tells the story of Gemma, a brilliant engineer who dedicated her life to using high technology to create the most amazing toys we can imagine. Gemma's work began at university when she built a robot named Bruce that had an impressive range of motion and could be controlled using only a pair of cybernetic gloves. although Bruce is already impressive on his own, and Gemma will continue to research robotics and programming to create more autonomous toys. That's how she came up with the Purrpetual Petz, a furry doll that responds to kids' input.

While the Purrpetual Petz is the main product of the toy company Gemma works for, she also has a pet project hidden in the basement. This is M3GAN, a robot capable of fluent conversations thanks to its advanced AI. While Gemma wanted a catchy name in case she ended up on a toy store shelf, M3GAN actually represented a more verbose name. M3GAN is the abbreviation of Model 3 Generative ANdroid. While the name might seem trashy at first glance, it tells us a lot about how the doll works.

First of all, M3GAN is a robot. This means she has a metal robotic body covered in elements that make her appear more human. Being a robot also means that the M3GAN is at least partially autonomous, contrary to Bruce. It's also important to note that Gemma has tried and failed several times to build a fully functional robot, as the M3GAN is already her third model come out with. The most important aspect of the M3GAN name is the "generation" part.

Obsessed with creating a fully functioning robot, Gemma turns the Purrpetual Petz into a spy, collecting data on children's interactions with the toy. Armed with all this information, Gemma developed a learning model that she introduced in the M3GAN code. While the doll knows out of the box how to behave well enough to get a child's attention, being a generative robot means that the M3GAN is able to constantly analyze new inputs, measure appropriate responses, and modify its parameters to better suit specific needs children. M3GAN is the perfect toy as she keeps improving herself to meet the needs of her main users. Of course, this could backfire as M3GAN learns how to overcome safety protocols and decides to go against ethics to achieve her goals. This is why generative artificial intelligences are dangerous, but at least they can make good horror movies.

M3GAN was distributed through theater network beginning January 6.