Movie-goers Face Attraction or Repulsion Towards M3GAN's Theater Debut, Potentially Leading to a Horror Exodus
In an innovative twist for cinema enthusiasts, Blumhouse's Halfway to Halloween celebration is set to offer a unique interactive movie experience with the introduction of Movie Mate, a second screen technology designed specifically for the re-release of the popular horror film, M3GAN.
The Movie Mate experience, available exclusively to theatergoers, leverages Meta's social media capabilities to augment the second screen viewing experience. By DM'ing the Instagram account @M3GAN from within a theater, viewers can interact with an AI chatbot representing the evil doll, accessing exclusive content such as trivia, behind-the-scenes information, and real-time extras synchronized with the movie screening.
This innovative approach allows fans to engage directly with the film while watching, offering an augmented and interactive experience rather than a passive viewing. The Movie Mate experience is poised to provide never-before-seen content related to M3GAN.
In addition to the interactive Movie Mate experience, Blumhouse is offering sneak peeks, exclusive recorded messages from directors and talent, and surprise special appearances as part of the Halfway to Halloween festivities. The participating theaters for the screenings can be checked on the ticket sales website, where advance tickets for the screenings are also available.
The re-release of M3GAN is scheduled for April 30, with additional showtimes available on the ticket sales website. Other Blumhouse favourites, including Annabelle (April 7) and Ma (May 14), are also part of the celebration. The ticket sales website also provides information on upcoming Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, DC Universe, and Doctor Who releases.
Meta's Omar Zayat described the features as something designed to get audiences back into theaters, aiming to "uplevel" traditional second-screen engagement by providing movie-related content that enhances immersion and fan interaction. However, the reception regarding the use of phones in theaters may be mixed, with at least one report describing the collaboration during the Halfway to Halloween event as an "epic fail".
Despite this, the Movie Mate experience marks an innovative attempt to blend social media interactivity with cinema viewing, potentially changing how audiences experience select movies like M3GAN in theaters. The release date for M3GAN 2.0 is set for June 27.
- Gizmodo's coverage of Blumhouse's Halfway to Halloween event highlights the innovative Movie Mate experience, a second screen technology leveraging Meta's social media capabilities for an immersive movie-watching experience during the re-release of M3GAN.
- Io9 points out that the Movie Mate experience allows fans to interact with the evil AI chatbot character from M3GAN, accessing exclusive content and trivia in real-time while watching the movie.
- The future of movie-going experiences may changes thanks to the Movie Mate technology, as seen in the Halfway to Halloween event's novel blending of social media and cinema, possibly giving rise to a new wave of interactive movie experiences for popular films like M3GAN and its potential sequel, M3GAN 2.0.
