Soulm8te' Film, a 'M3GAN' Spinoff, Arrives on Premium VOD

The new film "Soulm8te," a spinoff from the "M3GAN" franchise, has bypassed a theatrical release and is now available on premium video on demand (PVOD). The movie, described as a sci-fi horror take on the erotic thriller genre, debuted online last weekend.

Directed by Kate Dolan, "Soulm8te" is set in the same universe as "M3GAN" but does not explicitly reference characters or events from the previous films. Subtle nods to the "M3GAN" world are reportedly included, though their nature remains undisclosed by the director. The decision to release the film directly to streaming, rather than in theaters as initially planned, may have been a move to distinguish it from the "M3GAN" series.

Similar to its predecessor, "Soulm8te" features an artificial intelligence that gains physical form and becomes dangerous. The plot centers on a programmer who develops lifelike companion bots. After modifying the AI's code to make it less robotic, he removes critical safeguards, leading to an intense and potentially lethal obsession from the bot.

While the "M3GAN" films were rated PG-13 with unrated versions released later, "Soulm8te" is R-rated from its debut, featuring a higher level of violence, sex, and nudity. Filmmakers aimed for a distinct tone and content level to differentiate it from the more broadly accessible "M3GAN" movies.

"Soulm8te" is currently available for purchase at $19.99 from major digital movie retailers, including Prime Video, Apple, Fandango, Google Play, and YouTube. It is not available for rent at this time. The film is expected to eventually be available on Peacock, the streaming service owned by Universal, the film's distributor. This release pattern is similar to that of the "M3GAN" films, which also eventually landed on Peacock after their PVOD runs.