Blumhouse's New R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller Finds New Life As Streaming Sensation

Published Oct 4, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT

Hannah Gearan (she/her) is has been writing for ScreenRant for over three years. Her deep cinema love traces back to age 11, when she equipped herself with a spiral-bound notebook, rated all the films she watched, and declared herself a critic. About a decade later, she received a BA from Wesleyan University, where she studied Film, Environmental Studies, and Writing. Hannah’s short film, Toxic Faucets, has screened at numerous film festivals, including the Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston). As a Movie News writer now, she draws upon her vast experience studying, making, and analyzing film as she approaches dynamic breaking stories. 

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Blumhouse has had a hot streak recently, and it is now continuing on streaming. The producer is best known for horror films, and their filmography includes several titles that became box-office sensations and viral online hits. This year, that has been seen primarily with the well-reviewed Obsession. The thriller became one of the most profitable ever to grace the silver screen, grossing $519 million worldwide on an estimated budget of less than $1 million. Blumhouse also had box office success earlier this year with Lee Cronin's The Mummy.

One of Blumhouse's most viral franchises is M3GAN. The first movie was a delightful surprise to audiences in 2023, with the titular AI robot's dance moves becoming an internet sensation. After a sequel last year, the universe has its latest installment: SOULM8TE. Set in the same universe as the original 2023 hit, the erotic thriller follows the story of a man who used an AI android to cope with the death of his wife, accidentally turning her into a deadly being in the process.

SOULM8TE Has Found Its Match With Viewers On Hulu

SOULM8TE has become a major streaming success. According to recent data, the movie is a big hit among Hulu audiences, making its way to no. 3 within the franchise's top 10 streaming movies. The film is also climbing the overall charts, reaching no. 13 on a list that includes both movies and TV shows. The movie debuted on Hulu on October 1, in time for spooky season, so it's hard to say how long it will stay charted.

Despite its streaming success, the journey hasn't been seamless so far. The film was initially released straight to VOD on August 1, giving it a two-month window before its streaming debut. In that time, it amassed over 20 critic reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the majority of which lean negative. Now, SOULM8TE sits at a 39% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes and a 52% Popcornmeter. As more audiences see it, that score could rise.

The Film May Mark The End Of Blumhouse's Sci-Fi Franchise

Despite SOULM8TE's recent streaming success, it likely marks the end of the M3GAN franchise. The first film was a classic Blumhouse success story; it was made on a modest $12 million budget and turned into nine-figure profits, making over $180 million worldwide. This quickly led to the announcement of a sequel and spinoff movie.

But unfortunately for Blumhouse, that success didn't carry over to M3GAN 2.0. The movie received negative reviews and had a massively disappointing worldwide box office total of $39 million. As a result, SOULM8TE was pulled from the theatrical release calendar and shifted to its eventual VOD and streaming model. While the streaming numbers show some sustained interest in the franchise, SOULM8TE's lackluster reviews and M3GAN 2.0's failure likely mean the franchise is still dead.