I Learned How M3GAN 2.0’s Eerily Convincing AMELIA Came To Life On Set, And It Gave Me A New Appreciation For The Sequel

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With Halloween approaching, now is a perfect time to look ahead to spooky movies coming out in 2025. One film that didn’t get as much attention this summer was M3GAN 2.0, as it was released alongside bigger hits like F1. When TopMob spoke with the movie’s director, Gerard Johnstone, he shared some interesting details about the new villain, AMELIA, and the making of the film.

I really enjoyed the new Blumhouse film, as I mentioned in my review of M3GAN 2.0, and it seems many others did too, judging by what my colleague wrote and its 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. A standout part of the movie for me was the character of Amelia, played with a wonderfully creepy performance by Ivanna Sakhno. Here’s what director Gerard Johnstone had to say:

Ivanna and Megan share a similar elegance and efficient way of moving, stemming from their shared programming. They’re almost like different iterations of the same design. Initially, we anticipated certain limitations with Ivanna, assuming her robotic nature would limit her emotional expression. However, early performances felt flat, so we focused on developing how she expresses emotions to make her more engaging.

Sakhno’s acting was incredibly convincing – it almost made me wonder if she was a robot! However, the perfect tone for her character actually came from a collaborative effort between the actress and the director, Johnstone, as they worked together to define how AMELIA would be perceived. He explained further:

What makes her compelling is that, now that she’s acting independently, she’s finding it hard to control her feelings. As an android designed to blend in with humans, she already possesses some human-like qualities, but everything she’s experiencing is pushing her to her limit, and it’s starting to raise questions about her mental state.

The director also mentioned they worked with movement coach Luke Walker, who previously trained Amie Donald – the actress who played M3GAN – in robotic movement for the first film. Walker, a skilled stunt performer, dancer, and martial artist, even played a robot himself in the Netflix movie I Am Mother. The director added this further detail:

That helped us develop a character who is incredibly intense, yet surprisingly quiet and deeply emotional. It was an interesting choice, as it’s almost the opposite of what you’d expect from a robot, but it really suited the character well.

Peacock TV subscriptions start at $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. With a Peacock subscription, you can watch both M3GAN movies. You can also upgrade to Peacock Premium or Premium Plus for ad-free viewing and the ability to download shows and movies to watch offline. See the deal here.

I was really surprised by Ivanna Sakhno’s character, AMELIA. The new movie picks up after the events of the first, with Allison Williams returning as Gemma and her niece Cady. They discover someone has stolen the plans for M3GAN and built a similar robot, AMELIA. To survive, they’re forced to team up with the original M3GAN.

The movie initially surprised some viewers with its focus on action rather than horror. As the director explained, he intentionally wanted to defy expectations and take risks with the series. Now that M3GAN 2.0 is available to stream, you can choose to watch either the original theatrical cut or the extended, R-rated version. Enjoy the spooky season and this Blumhouse release!

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2025-10-29 06:38