When people turn up for a M3GAN movie, they now expect the killer doll (brought to life by Amie Donald and Jenna Davis) to do two very important things: sing and dance. The sequel, M3GAN 2.0 (now playing in theaters nationwide; click here for tickets) not only carries on that hallowed tradition, but also builds upon it with longer and more intricate sequences dedicated to both actions.
The singing in particular has garnered plenty of attention for fans, who were probably not expecting the titular character to break into a rendition of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work” during a tender moment between M3GAN and Gemma (Allison Williams), when the latter briefly lets down her defenses to voice doubt over whether she’s been an effective parental replacement for her niece, Cady (Violet McGraw).
“Being on the receiving end of ‘This Woman’s Work’ was the most incredible experience,” Williams, who also served as a producer on the film, said during an interview with USA Today. “M3GAN being all-seeing is Gemma’s biggest insecurity. M3GAN is like, ‘No, I do see you as a parent, and I’m moved by how burdened you are by your dual identities as a mother and person who’s leading this charge in tech.’ Gerard’s favorite thing is to set up an emotionally truthful moment that feels cathartic, and then exploding it in a way that you’re not expecting.”
Bush, of course, landed back in the public consciousness in 2022 after her 1985 hit, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” was used in the fourth season of Stranger Things. Supposedly hoping to create a similar public response via a different Kate Bush song, M3GAN 2.0 writer, director, and executive producer Gerard Johnstone wrote a letter to the British artist, asking for permission to use “This Woman’s Work.”
Why M3GAN 2.0 director Gerard Johnstone had to fight to include Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work”
“I just wanted her to know that it came from a place of me just being a huge fan,” the filmmaker also told USA Today, revealing that he initially sent a letter to Bush, asking for permission. “I was also fighting back suggestions that we should go with a different song that was more commercially known. I was like, ‘No, this is the perfect song.’ And she was so gracious. We actually filmed that scene without yet having permission and we were all just hoping we were going to get it by the time the film came out. Luckily, she came through.”
While Bush (who wrote the song for the 1988 film She’s Having a Baby starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern) did need to watch the M3GAN 2.0 sequence before approving the track’s use, Johnstone was not made aware of “what she thought of it,” he said. “The [production] company gave her as much as they could to buy the song and she just gave it to charity. She’s an incredible artist and it made me even more of a fan.”
Speaking with SYFY WIRE over Zoom, Davis described the song as “such a perfect way to tie into that moment,” going on to add, “My favorite part too, is how matched her hand movements, like she was having her own little musical with her little grabs and pushes. It was quite comedic and quite fun. I’m glad that it’s getting the laughs. That was on purpose.”
M3GAN 2.0 is now playing in theaters everywhere. Pick up tickets here!
