Movie theaters, malls, bedrooms, gyms – name a location, and M3GAN’s dance has likely been performed there. Months before “M3GAN” even premiered, TikTokers latched onto a particular dance scene from the horror film, re-creating the peculiar moves and spawning a new viral trend.
First teased in the trailer last October, the sequence begins with the titular AI doll rolling from side to side and whipping her arms around front with Jell-O-like fluidity. After nailing an aerial cartwheel, she strikes a leg-up pose against the blood-red wall, grabs a knife, and prepares to kill her next victim. A slayer of both humans and flips? Now that’s our kind of double threat.
As with most viral dance challenges, the variations are endless. Some creators are wearing beige dresses and tights to copy M3GAN’s costume in the movie. Others are mimicking her moves to the tune of different songs, from Bella Poarch’s “Dolls” and Taylor Swift‘s “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” and Beyoncé’s “America Has a Problem.” Each video has, in turn, fueled hype for the movie, which has been crushing the box office since hitting theaters on Jan. 6.
Though a standout moment, the dance scene was actually not included in the film’s original script, director Gerard Johnstone told Entertainment Weekly. “It was one of those crazy, sleep-deprived, 3 a.m. thoughts,” he said. “Wouldn’t it kind of be funny if the soundtrack suddenly became real and M3GAN ended up busting a move to whatever music was playing?” The dance was pieced together by choreographer Kylie Norris and brought to life by Amie Donald, the 12-year-old actor who physically embodied M3GAN for parts of the movie.
There’s already talk of a potential “M3GAN” sequel, and if Universal Pictures does green-light one, hopes will be high for another delightfully creepy dance sequence. Read ahead to watch some of the best re-creations to hit TikTok so far.