Kiwi director behind creepy movie 'M3GAN' says response has been 'surreal'

The new horror movie M3GAN has taken the world by storm after it hit theatres last month.

Now the Kiwi director behind the creepy flick has caught up with Jono and Ben to talk about his "surreal" experiences after receiving positive reviews from fans both in New Zealand and abroad.

"It's surreal," director Gerard Johnstone - whose previous work includes Kiwi horror Housebound - told Jono and Ben. "There [are] so many pinch-myself moments. There was an SNL sketch, I think Snoop Dogg did a face mash where he put his face on M3GAN's face."

The film - which was shot in New Zealand during the COVID-19 lockdown - has proven popular among moviegoers. It even went viral on TikTok for M3GAN’s unnerving dance and now there are talks that there could be a follow-up flick.

"It was such a hard film to make because M3GAN is an animatronic puppet and so often you feel like you're making the Terminator with Kermit the frog - it doesn't work.

"I was really worried that this film was gonna end my career, not launch my career," Gerard jokingly added. "So the idea that we're now talking about a sequel that's one of the craziest things because after this film was done, is like, 'thank God, I just got out of this alive'. So [now] I’m going back!”

The movie, filmed in New Zealand, tells the story of an AI doll named M3GAN - a shorthand for "Model 3 Generative" - whose attempts to protect a young girl quickly turn deadly.

Get Out's Allison Williams stars as a robotics engineer named Gemma who gains custody of her orphaned niece Katie, played by Violet McGraw.

The film also stars Ronny Chieng, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Arlo Green, Jen Van Epps, Stephane Garneau-Monten and Michael Saccente.

Listen to Jono and Ben's full interview with Gerard Johnstone above.

M3GAN is out in New Zealand theatres now.