M3GAN 2.0’s Ivanna Sakhno studied AI and had a movement coach to play AMELIA

The sci-fi thriller M3GAN (read our review HERE, get a copy HERE) was such a financial success when it reached theatres in January of 2023, it didn’t even take Universal Pictures and production companies Blumhouse and Atomic Monster two weeks to announce that they’d be re-teaming for a sequel. M3GAN 2.0 is now in theatres (you can read our review at THIS LINK), and JoBlo’s own JimmyO had the chance to talk with cast member Ivanna Sakhno (Ahsoka), who has a major role in the film, about her approach to playing the character AMELIA, a.k.a. Autonomous Military Engagement Logistics and Infiltration Android. Sakhno studied AI and worked with a movement coach to bring AMELIA to life, and you can hear about the process in the video embedded above.

Based on a story crafted by producer James Wan, M3GAN was directed by Gerard Johnstone (Housebound) from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant). Johnstone worked from a Cooper script again for the sequel. The first film has the following synopsis: She’s more than just a toy. She’s part of the family. From the most prolific minds in horror — James Wan, the filmmaker behind the Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring franchises, and Blumhouse, the producer of the Halloween films, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man — comes a fresh new face in terror. M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma, M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady, Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems — a decision that will have unimaginable consequences. And the sequel: Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a murderous rampage, its creator, Gemma, has become an advocate for government oversight of AI. Unbeknownst to her, a defense contractor has created a military-grade weapon known as AMELIA, the ultimate infiltration spy. However, as AMELIA’s self-awareness increases, it becomes less interested in taking orders. Hoping to stop AMELIA, Gemma decides to resurrect M3GAN, making it faster, stronger, and more lethal.

Allison Williams and M3GAN co-star Violet McGraw came back for the follow-up (reprising the roles of roboticist Gemma and her niece Kady), as did Brian Jordan Alvarez and Jen Van Epps (as Gemma’s associates Cole and Tess). This time, they’re joined in the cast by the aforementioned Ivanna Sakhno, Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows), Timm Sharp (Blunt Talk), and Aristotle Athari (Saturday Night Live). Amie Donald and Jenna Davis bring M3GAN herself to life. 

Have you seen M3GAN 2.0 yet? If so, let us know what you thought of Ivanna Sakhno’s performance as AMELIA by leaving a comment below.

The post M3GAN 2.0’s Ivanna Sakhno studied AI and had a movement coach to play AMELIA appeared first on JoBlo.