Universal has pulled the sci-fi thriller “Soulm8te” from its January 9, 2026, release date. Not just that: the studio appears eager to offload it. That isn’t especially surprising, considering the film was slated to open just weeks from now and had yet to release a promotional trailer.
Universal is currently shopping “Soulm8te” to potential distributors. Given that it is a “M3GAN” spinoff, the commercial failure of this summer’s “M3GAN 2.0” likely played a role in the decision.
Backed by Blumhouse and Atomic Monster and directed by Kate Dolan, “Soulm8te” follows a grieving man who turns to an advanced AI android to help him cope with the death of his wife. In his attempt to create a companion capable of genuine emotion, he inadvertently transforms a once-innocent lovebot into a dangerous and obsessive partner.
The film, billed as being inspired by ’90s erotic thrillers, stars Claudia Doumit, Lily Sullivan, Isabelle Bonfrer, Emma Ramos, Sydney Blackburn, and others. Dolan previously directed the 2021 indie horror film “You Are Not My Mother.”
Why couldn’t Universal simply put the film on Peacock? Did Blumhouse strongly oppose that option? The trailer reportedly screened to positive reactions at CinemaCon last year. Perhaps Lionsgate should attempt to acquire it.
That said, I’d spoken to a few people who saw the film last year, and none of them were fans, citing B-level production values and poor acting. There’s a scene in which she brutally attacks an oversexed delivery guy by crushing his penis with her robot vagina. Yeah, it’s that kind of movie.
Really, after this summer’s “M3GAN 2.0,” the franchise is basically dead. The first film made over $180M worldwide, but the sequel could only muster $39M.