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Never fear, psycho robot fans, the M3GAN-verse is alive and well. It was looking a little dicey for a moment there, but the good news is that the franchise's first spin-off is making its way to viewers... even if it's kind of a different way than we expected. Today, Popverse has learned that SOULM8TE is headed straight into your homes... directly through Universal Pictures at Home.

Let us explain.

In case you haven't been following, the third film to take place in the M3GAN-verse was originally looking at a theatrical release in January of 2026. However, in December of 2025, it came out that Universal was pulling the Blumhouse/Atomic Monster vehicle, and though no reason was given, buzz swirled on the internet that the decision had something to do with M3GAN 2.0's poor box office performance.

Six months after the movie was supposed to hit theaters, though, we got a Universal Pictures press announcement declaring that the film would be headed directly to streaming, and faster than anyone might've expected after the theatrical pull. Now, the film will debut on the studio's Universal Pictures at Home site August 1, before it's made available to VOD providers such as Amazon and Apple.

"When Blumhouse Atomic Monster first approached me about an erotic thriller set in the M3GAN-verse," said director Kate Dolan, "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. Yet those are the same forces pulling us apart. The lonelier we get, the more dependent we become on the tools doing the pulling," states Dolan.  

"SOULM8TE," continued Dolan in the announcement, "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."

SOULM8TE is available to stream on Universal Pictures at Home August 1.

In the immortal words of Danny Elfman, "Life's no fun without a good scare." Join Popverse's freaky forays into frightful filmology with:

• The best horror movies of all time, according to horror aficionado Greg Silber
• The most underrated horror movies from the past couple years
• All the new and upcoming horror movies for 2025 and beyond

And much gore. Er, more. Much more.