Summary

• M3GAN expands with a sequel & a spinoff movie, now casting Evil Dead Rise's Lily Sullivan for the lead role.
• SOULM8TE follows a man coping with the loss of his wife who acquires an AI-powered android.
• Lily Sullivan, known for vulnerability & strength in Evil Dead Rise, s potential horror franchise in SOULM8TE.

The world of M3GAN is expanding with a sequel and a spinoff movie, and the latter has found its lead, which makes the project more exciting after the actor’s recent horror hit. The horror genre has seen some big hits in recent years, and one of the most unexpected and fun ones was M3GAN. Directed by Gerard Johnstone and with a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan, M3GAN was a critical and commercial success, which led the studio to greenlight a sequel (appropriately titled M3GAN 2.0) and a spinoff movie.

M3GAN followed a roboticist at a toy company who became the guardian of her eight-year-old niece after her parents’ deaths. To help her cope with the loss, she paired her with a child-sized humanoid robot powered by AI called M3GAN, but it soon developed self-awareness and became deadly overprotective of the young girl. Following this line is the M3GAN spinoff SOULM8TE, which will see a man coping with the loss of his wife and buying an initially harmless AI-powered android who soon becomes a threat. SOULM8TE now has its lead actress, who makes the project a lot more exciting thanks to one movie.

Lily Sullivan Was One Of The Best Parts Of Evil Dead Rise

Lily Sullivan Was Key To Evil Dead Rise’s Success

Lily Sullivan's biggest horror hit so far is Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise.

At the time of writing, SOULM8TE is scheduled for a January 2026 release, and more details are being gradually released. The most recent update on SOULM8TE is its lead actress, as it has cast Evil Dead Rise’s Lily Sullivan. Sullivan will play the rogue AI that becomes a deadly soulmate to her buyer and companion, and so far, she’s the only confirmed cast member. Sullivan is no stranger to the horror genre, having taken part in the anthology horror movie I Met a Girl in 2021, but her biggest horror hit so far is Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise.

Evil Dead Rise has an 84% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, right behind Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2 and The Evil Dead.

Evil Dead Rise followed sisters Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and Beth (Sullivan), as the latter arrived to visit the former and her three children: teenagers Danny and Bridget and child Kassie. A violent earthquake led Danny to discover the Naturom Demonto, which unleashed the Deadites which soon took over Ellie. After this demonic force took Danny and Bridget, it was up to Beth and Kassie to find a way out of the building and through the Deadites all over it, mainly Ellie.

Sullivan’s performance was one of the best parts of Evil Dead Rise, as she brought vulnerability (as she was pregnant and alone) and strength as she took the role of parent and protector of her young niece in a truly terrifying situation. Sullivan showed her range in Evil Dead Rise, which is exciting for her role in SOULM8TE as she will have to go from an android to a self-aware one who will go to deadly lengths for her human companion.

M3GAN's Spinoff Gives Lily Sullivan A New Potential Horror Franchise

Lily Sullivan Continues Her Path In The Horror Genre

Lily Sullivan is now part of one of the best and most popular horror franchises thanks to Evil Dead Rise, even if she doesn’t return for the next entry in the franchise (which is described as another standalone story). With her role in SOULM8TE, Sullivan can now add a potential horror franchise to her filmography, as the universe of M3GAN may continue to expand. M3GAN showed that the destruction of an android isn’t necessarily the end for the AI in it, which might be the case for Sullivan’s character in SOULM8TE and beyond.