Abigail vs. M3GAN? Abigail Directors Have "No Complaints" if a Horror Crossover Happens Eventually

A new age of Universal Monsters seems to be upon us! Following up on the unexpected, yet totally welcome, success of M3GAN from last spring, the studio hopes to launch another horror icon next month with Alisha Weir's 12-year-old "ballerina vampire" in the upcoming Abigail (exclusively hitting theaters everywhere April 19). Hell, if Universal Pictures can get enough traction going, it could even revisit the whole Dark Universe thing with a roster of postmodern characters.

"If there's a M3GAN v Abigail movie somewhere down the line, then no complaints," Matt Betinelli-Olpin (who co-directed the flick alongside fellow Radio Silence storyteller, Tyler Gillet) tells Empire for the magazine's May 2024 issue. At the same time, however, he clarified that the R-rated Abigail is much darker and "not afraid to go places you're maybe not sure you want to go."

While we'd love nothing more than to see Weir's adolescent bloodsucker go up M3GAN in a no holds barred cage match full of spurting blood and mechanical lubricant, she'll actually have to get in line. Why? Chucky already has dibs on the first showdown.

For More on Abigail & M3GAN:

How Is Abigail Different from Scream? Radio Silence on "Absolutely Bananas" New Vampire Flick
Kathryn Newton Says New Horror Movie Abigail Will Hit "Like M3GAN on Steroids"
M3GAN Star Violet McGraw "Very Excited" to Start Working on Sequel 2.0

What is Abigail About?

Written by Stephen Shields (The Hole in the Ground) and Guy Busick (Scream), Abigail is all about a kidnapping gone seriously wrong. A group of criminals nab the young daughter of a wealthy man in the hopes of collecting a hefty ransom. Just one teensy-tiny problem: the little girl is a nigh-unstoppable vampire who can tear through the felons as though they were made of tissue paper. What should have been an easy pay-day devolves into a desperate fight for survival within the walls of a crumbling mansion. 

"I've always loved heist movies and horror movies," Shields explains in the Empire feature. "So I liked the idea of combining the two. To have Reservoir Dogs bumping into a vampire film — that seemed like a fun concept." He continued: "It's a group of strangers who start off not being so sure of each other, and soon become even less sure of the person they've taken hostage."

Who Stars in Abigail?

The film marks a reunion between Betinelli-Olpin and Gillet and their Scream star, Melissa Barrera, who plays lead kidnapper and medic, Joey. Her co-stars include Dan Stevens (Legion) as the Frank, a man of particularly ill-repute; Kathryn Newton (Lisa Frankenstein) as hacker Sam; Kevin Durand (The Strain) as strong man Peter; and the late Angus Cloud (Euphoria) as wheel-man Dean. All of them are brought together by an eccentric crime boss (The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito).

When Does Abigail Open in Theaters?

Abigail will exclusively hit the big screen on Friday, April 19. Tickets should be going on sale within the new few weeks. Be sure to check back with us for regular updates!

M3GAN (both the theatrical cut and unrated version), on the other hand, is available to own from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. A direct sequel — appropriately titled M3GAN 2.0 — is slated to bow next May.