The bizarre trailer for Blumhouse’s new AI horror M3GAN features a Tik Tok-dancing killer robot

The first trailer for Gerard Johnstone's M3GAN is here – and while we're not entirely sure what the hell is going on... we're not necessarily mad about it.

After young Katie (Violet McGraw) loses both her parents in an accident, she gets sent to live with her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams). Gemma, nervous about taking care of a child for the first time, introduces Katie to her latest work project, a life-like AI doll called the Model 3 Generative Android, or M3GAN (played by child actress Amie Donald and voiced by Jenna Davis) for short. The robot, engineered by Gemma herself, is programmed to be a child's greatest companion and a parent's greatest ally. 

All seems well at first, until M3GAN becomes a little too attached to Katie and stops at nothing to defend her from harm – even if it means pushing a little boy in front of a car, lighting stuff on fire, or developing a will of her own and refusing to turn off.

The most curious thing about the trailer, however, is the unprompted dancing at the end. M3GAN, utilizing some moves from popular dances we've seen on TikTok, busts out her smooth moves while a terrified Katie screams, "What's wrong with you?!" The clip has gone viral online, with some users putting songs from Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, BTS, Taylor Swift, and Beyonce over the scene. Others have likened her to the (kind of creepy) robot baby used to play Renesmee Cullen in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.

M3GAN is directed by Gerald Johnstone and was adapted from a screenplay by Malignant writer Akela Cooper which was based on a story by Cooper and James Wan. The film is set to hit theaters on January 13, 2023.

For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2022 and beyond, or, skip straight to the good stuff with our list of movie release dates.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for 12DOVE currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.