The sci-fi thriller M3GAN (read our review HERE) was cut down and had some moments reshot so it could achieve a PG-13 rating for its theatrical release, but the unrated cut of the movie has since been given a digital, Blu-ray, and DVD release (order a copy HERE)… and during an interview with USA Today, star Allison Williams revealed there’s a certain unrated moment that makes her sick to her stomach.
Williams said, “The unrated version is a lot of fun, if you have the stomach for it.” When asked if there was a specific scene that makes her squirm, she replied, “Oh, my God. It should be when a child perishes, but at one point, someone’s face loses a fight with a pressure washer and it starts to peel off. Even though I know how it works behind the scenes and I watched all the tests they did with the special effects makeup, I still get sick to my stomach when I see it. It just grosses me out. I don’t do well with gore in general, so that moment is particularly gnarly to me.“
Based on a story crafted by producer James Wan, M3GAN was directed by director Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant). The film has the following synopsis:
She’s more than just a toy. She’s part of the family.
From the most prolific minds in horror — James Wan, the filmmaker behind the Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring franchises, and Blumhouse, the producer of the Halloween films, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man — comes a fresh new face in terror.
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. 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. When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady, Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems — a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.
Williams was joined in the cast by Violet McGraw, Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Jen Van Epps, Lori Dungey, and Stephane Garneau-Monten star.
A collaboration between Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, and Atomic Monster, in association with Divide/Conquer, M3GAN was produced by James Wan and Jason Blum. Williams serves as executive producer alongside Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks, and Greg Gilreath.
A sequel, titled M3GAN 2.0, is already set to reach theatres in January of 2025. Williams was asked if there’s any desire to increase the blood and profanity for the sequel, and she answered, “It’s a really specific tone that (director Gerard Johnstone) found in the first movie that uses M3GAN as a source of camp and fun, but also real fear. That’ll all be in the mix again. We haven’t actually started talking about the rating, but I think the way we did it the first time wouldn’t be a bad idea. You end up with a product that can be enjoyed by a broader audience, and then for the real stans, you have (an unrated) version that’s a bit more hardcore.“
Have you compared the theatrical and unrated cuts of M3GAN? If so, which do you prefer? Let us know by leaving a comment below.