Blumhouse's $39M Sci-Fi Thriller Finds New Life On HBO Max As Global Hit & It's A Must-Watch

1 day ago 3

Published Feb 10, 2026, 9:30 AM EST

Felipe Rangel is a Superheroes Lead Writer and Reviewer at ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021, with a focus on superhero projects. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Since the launch of the Superheroes vertical in 2023, he has focused his efforts on coming up with insightful analyses of Marvel and DC's projects.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

A Blumhouse Sci-Fi thriller movie that failed to become a hit in theaters has now found new life on streaming, and as it becomes a popular release on HBO Max, it is now clear that the film is a must-watch at home. 2026 is a great year for Sci-Fi movies. There is a healthy mix between original films and the return of Sci-Fi franchises.

Among the latter are new films from Dune and Star Wars, which promise to be the talk of the town when it comes to Sci-Fi on the big screen. That said, for those not looking to make a trip to theaters for new Sci-Fi movies, there are already many interesting options to watch at home. Recently, a genre film became a popular streaming option, and I believe it is worth checking out.

Blumhouse's Box Office Flop Has Become A Major Streaming Hit

Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno) focused in M3GAN 2.0

M3GAN 2.0 is now a major streaming hit on HBO Max. The Sci-Fi franchise started in 2022 with the release of M3GAN, a horror movie about a killer human-like robot who gained awareness and went on a killing spree. M3GAN grossed $180.1 million worldwide against a reported $12 million budget, making it a huge box office hit for Blumhouse.

Given the first movie's strong performance, a sequel was quickly put into development. However, M3GAN 2.0 ended its theatrical run with just $39.1 million, a significant drop from the original's box office. While the sequel was a box office flop, M3GAN 2.0 has become a streaming hit on two different platforms. First, the Sci-Fi film became Netflix's most-watched movie in the United States.

While M3GAN 2.0 has since fallen from Netflix's nationwide charts, the Sci-Fi thriller has since become a hit on another streaming service. At the time of writing, M3GAN 2.0 is the most-watched movie worldwide on HBO Max, according to FlixPatrol. The M3GAN sequel is trending at #1 in 20 countries, some of which include Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, and many more.

Why M3GAN 2.0 Is Worth Watching

As can be seen, despite its box office flop status, M3GAN 2.0 has emerged as an attractive offering to watch at home on two huge streaming services. There is a good reason for that, as the Blumhouse sequel offers a different experience in comparison to the first movie, and audiences seem to be responding well to that when checking it out at home.

Instead of a horror-oriented movie like the original, M3GAN 2.0 fully embarks on the franchise's bizarre humor to serve as an exciting Sci-Fi thriller that puts the title robot as its heroine. In M3GAN 2.0, the title character returns as an upgraded version of herself, though turned to the side of good by her creator, Gemma, to stop the rogue killer robot Amelia, a master spy.

As such, M3GAN 2.0 offers a fresh take on the original movie's concept, shifting from a horror approach to that of an action-comedy with a protagonist the audience knows too well, but has since changed in many ways. The action set pieces are explosive, the one-liners mostly land, and the Sci-Fi visuals and elements enhance the streamlined narrative. M3GAN 2.0 is simply a fun movie to watch on streaming.