Top horror studio Blumhouse is gearing up to celebrate its 15th anniversary in a big way, bringing the 2022 hit film M3GAN back to theaters ahead of its sequel's release. This special theatrical re-release includes some unique, and somewhat controversial, new features that encourage the use of smartphones during the movie.
As part of its Halfway to Halloween initiative, Shudder is hosting one-night-only screenings of M3GAN, along with Ma and Annabelle. These screenings will incorporate Meta's "Movie Mate" technology, allowing audience members to interact with M3GAN through a chatbot and access exclusive content on their second screens in real-time.
"Movie Mate is only available to moviegoers who are in a theater, and works by DM'ing the Instagram account @M3GAN to start the experience," Blumhouse explained in a report published by Variety. "The entire experience is designed to leverage Meta's capabilities to augment and enhance the 'second screen' viewing experience, generating excitement ahead of the release of M3GAN 2.0 on June 27."
Fans can look forward to sneak peeks, exclusive recorded messages from directors and talent, and surprise special appearances in select markets. While this innovative approach aims to create buzz, it also raises concerns about further weakening the traditional theatrical experience. Only time will tell how fans will react once they experience it firsthand. Hopefully, this trend won't extend to regular screenings anytime soon.
The M3GAN screening will take place in various theaters nationwide on April 30, with Annabelle screening on May 7 and Ma on May 14. M3GAN 2.0 is set to hit U.S. theaters on June 27.
