M3GAN’s original cut had a lot more bloodshed and writer teases an unrated version

I thought M3GAN it was an incredibly fun and entertaining horror film and i enjoyed it much more than i expected. But there was a cut of the film that was far more violent and filled with far more bloodshed! There was an R-rated cut at one point, but the studio wanted the film down to a PG-13 rating after the first initial trailer went viral with teens.

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the screenwriter of the film, Akela Cooper, talked about the original cut of the film and teased what it included, saying it was much gorier and the body count was much higher. He’s also teased an unrated version of the movie that will be released at some point, so we’ll see this more hardcore version of the movie eventually!

“No nuances for Universal, I love them, and I understand that once the trailer goes viral, teens are into it and you want them to see it. There should be an unrated version at some point. … I’ve heard which is in the books. But yeah, it was much gorier. His body count in the script was higher than in the movie. He wasn’t a Gabriel [in Malignant]full-scale massacre, but killed a lot more people, including a couple of characters who [producer] James [Wan] he was like, ‘I like what you did with those people, but I want them to live.’ I was ruthless, but again it’s me. My humor is extremely dark.”

I’m sure hearing this will disappoint some horror fans, director Gerard Johnstone says he felt that some of these limitations they had to work with ended up leading to a more effective cinematic experience. He told Total Film:

“Making PG-13 was something that happened after the fact, but it was always so close to PG-13 anyway. It felt like a mistake not to embrace it. I even remember thinking in the beginning, ‘This could be PG-13. – 13, and some of my favorite movies like Drag Me to Hell are PG-13.’ So we made the decision to go PG-13 and reshoot a couple of things.”

He went on to say:

“What really excited me is that when we re-shot those scenes, they were more effective. It’s like, ‘Yeah, you have to cut certain moments,’ but it’s fun to have to rely so much on sound and cues.”

Producer James Wan he also recently defended the PG-13 rating, saying:

“Listen, I’ve done PG-13 movies and I’ve done R-rated movies. So I think it’s all about what’s best suited for the movie, and even though M3GAN is a scary movie, teens are really going to enjoy it. They’ll really like it and I think it will speak to them in a big way.

I was happy with how the film turned out. While I’m curious about the darker, more violent version of the film, the cut that hit theaters was fantastic and is a must see! Here is the synopsis of the film:

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a lifelike doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Allison Williams of Get Out), M3GAN can listen, watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, to the child she cares about.

When Gemma suddenly becomes the guardian of her 8-year-old orphaned niece, Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House), Gemma is insecure and unprepared to become a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to solve both problems, a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.

Allison Williams (Come out, perfection) both starring and executive producing the film. The film also stars Ronny Chieng (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will & Grace), Jen Van Epps (Cowboy bebop), Lori Dungey (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition), And Stephane Garneau-Monten (Simple).

The film will be released in theaters on January 13, 2023.