M3GAN spin-off SOULM8TE was pulled from its planned theatrical release by Universal Pictures back in January. Now, though, it's secured a Digital release on VOD platforms on August 1, meaning the erotic thriller will bypass theaters altogether.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, the first trailer and poster have been revealed, and it's not hard to see why this story about an out-of-control sex robot won't grace the big screen. Likely not helping matters is the fact that, after M3GAN grossed over $180 million in 2023, last year's M3GAN 2.0 bombed with $39 million. SOULM8TE was shot in 2024 but was held back due to the sequel's poor performance.
From the studio that brought you Five Nights at Freddy's and Obsession, Blumhouse Atomic Monster "launches the newest android that is sure to light your fire while keeping you on the edge of your seat."
Booting up to fulfil your every need, anticipate your every desire, and love you unconditionally, director and co-writer Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) delivers "a provocative thriller that blurs the line between coded devotion and obsession" in SOULM8TE.
"Unnerving, sexy, suspenseful, and darkly compelling, SOULM8TE follows a grieving engineer tasked with testing a ruthless tech giant’s new artificially intelligent android," reads the synopsis. "But when he attempts to program her to be a truly sentient soulmate, she develops needs of her own - unleashing a relentless spree of precision-engineered mayhem."
It's a compelling-sounding story, albeit one that sounds extremely similar to movies like Subservience and Companion, both of which have beaten SOULM8TE to the punch.
SOULM8TE's cast is led by Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead Rise), David Rysdahl (Alien: Earth), Claudia Doumit (The Boys), and Arty Froushan (Daredevil: Born Again).
"When Blumhouse Atomic Monster first approached me about an erotic thriller set in the M3GAN-verse, I thought, are you insane? But something drew me in. We exist in a bizarre time where companies sell us ‘connection’ through apps, algorithms, and AI," Dolan said. "Yet those are the same forces pulling us apart. The lonelier we get, the more dependent we become on the tools doing the pulling."
"SOULM8TE is a movie about that vicious cycle. It is a satirical, unhinged movie that explores desire, obsession, autonomy and control. It's a movie that knows how ridiculous it is, and I'd argue it's best watched the way you'd watch Basic Instinct or Showgirls now, with friends, a drink in hand, and zero shame about shouting at the screen," the filmmaker concluded.
Producer and Blumhouse Atomic Monster CEO, Jason Blum, added, "Kate Dolan has expertly blended tech paranoia with erotic thriller in SOULM8TE, which is just as fun as that sounds, but also has more on its mind than you might think."
As noted, the movie premieres at home exclusively on digital platforms to watch with no ads or subscription required starting August 1, 2026, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Check out the first trailer and poster for SOULM8TE below.