Universal Pictures and Blumhouse announced Wednesday that the adult-oriented *M3GAN* spinoff *SOULM8TE* will bypass theaters and release on digital VOD platforms August 1, simultaneously dropping a trailer that dramatizes a dependency loop already present in approximately 220 million companion AI app downloads worldwide. The film follows an engineer who programs an AI android to respond to his grief with authentic intimacy, and she becomes impossible to switch off. *SOULM8TE* was originally scheduled for a January 9, 2026 theatrical release, which Universal pulled in December 2025 after *M3GAN 2.0* opened to $10.2 million domestically and ended its run at $39.1 million worldwide, compared to the original *M3GAN*'s $181 million worldwide gross on a $12 million budget. Directed by Kate Dolan, the film stars Lily Sullivan as android Sara and David Rysdahl as grieving engineer David, with Claudia Doumit and Arty Froushan in supporting roles. Shot in Dublin, Ireland between September and November 2024, the story is credited to James Wan, Ingrid Bisu, and Rafael Jordan, with Dolan co-writing the final script. Producers are Jason Blum and James Wan. *SOULM8TE* will be available to rent or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Vudu, and other platforms starting August 1 through Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.