M3GAN may be rated PG-13, but there's an uncut version of the horror movie that's "way gorier" and may be coming to our screens soon, according to the film's screenwriter.
"There should be an unrated version at some point," screenwriter Akela Cooper, who also penned James Wan's Malignant, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "I heard it is on the books. But yes, it was way gorier. Her body count in the script was higher than in the movie. It wasn’t a Gabriel [in Malignant]-scale massacre, but she did kill a bunch more people, including a couple of characters whom James [Wan] was like, 'I like what you did with those people, but I want them to live.' I was merciless, but again, that is me. My humor is extremely dark."
M3GAN is an AI doll programmed to be a child's greatest companion – at least that's what roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams) thought she was inventing, anyway, when she enlisted M3GAN's help to care for her newly orphaned niece. However, it turns out M3GAN has a mind of her own.
"Making it PG-13 was something that happened after the fact, but it was always so close to PG-13 anyway," director Gerard Johnstone told Total Film. "It seemed kind of a mistake not to embrace it. I even remember thinking early on, 'This could be PG-13, and some of my favorite films like Drag Me to Hell are PG-13.' So we made the decision to go PG-13 and actually reshot a couple of things.
"What I was really stoked about is that when we reshot those scenes, they were more effective. It's like 'Yes, you do have to cut away at certain times' but it's fun having to rely on sound and suggestion so much."
M3GAN is out now in the US and arrives in the UK on January 13. For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the rest of the most exciting movie release dates in 2023.