Ivanna Sakhno has opened up about stepping into her villain era in horror movie sequel M3GAN 2.0, and her struggles with playing a murderous doll on a rampage.
The 27-year-old is set to star as Amelia, a military bot facing off against the original killer robot, in the follow-up – which is released in cinemas on June 27.
Two years after Gemma’s (Allison Williams) creation went haywire and caused brutal and bloody destruction in a bid to keep her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) safe, her technology is stolen to create ‘the ultimate killer infiltration spy’ – aka Amelia.
However, things take a turn when she becomes self-aware and targets her creators, leaving Gemma no choice but to dust Megan (Amie Donald) off and update her software, to give them all a fighting chance of survival.
Ahead of the release, the latest in a long line of creepy dolls to terrorize horror fans sat down with Metro to discuss the reality of playing a robot on the big screen.
When asked whether she thought people would be surprised that she’s an actual human being, and not a ‘humanoid military robot’, she snapped right back into character and told us in the most unsettling way: ‘I’m actually not. I am also an artificial intelligence.
‘This part of the New Age generation of humans. You learned it here first. I am one of them, I am one of the first.’
Thankfully, Ivanna was definitely joking – we hope – as she also touched on the challenges she faced while playing the monstrous AI bot, and how she was able to perfect those stunts.
‘It was a wonderful experience’ she continued. ‘It was also challenging in the physical aspects of it, the stunts were fun and challenging, but I learned a lot from her. That experience will stay with me for a long while.’
‘Two years after M3GAN, a marvel of artificial intelligence, went rogue and embarked on a murderous (and impeccably choreographed) rampage and was subsequently destroyed, M3GAN’s creator Gemma (Allison Williams) has become a high-profile author and advocate for government oversight of AI,’ the synopsis read.
‘Meanwhile, Gemma’s niece Cady (Violet McGraw), now 14, has become a teenager, rebelling against Gemma’s overprotective rules.
‘Unbeknownst to them, the underlying tech for M3GAN has been stolen and misused by a powerful defense contractor to create a military-grade weapon known as Amelia (Ivanna Sakhno), the ultimate killer infiltration spy.
‘But as Amelia’s self-awareness increases, she becomes decidedly less interested in taking orders from humans. Or in keeping them around.
‘With the future of human existence on the line, Gemma realizes that the only option is to resurrect M3GAN (Amie Donald, voiced by Jenna Davis) and give her a few upgrades, making her faster, stronger, and more lethal.’
Having previously appeared in Pacific Rim Uprising, The Spy Who Dumped Me and Ahsoka, Ivanna has stepped into a much different realm with her portrayal of the killer robot.
Shedding light on the biggest challenges she faced while bringing Amelia to life, Ivanna laughed: ‘Frankly, the stunt aspect of it and the lack of ability to breathe during the scenes.
‘But the stunt department is incredible, some of the best professionals I’ve worked with in that sphere. I learned a lot from them, and also was able to build a certain trust, having to deal with the stunts that we did.
‘My stunt double just was right by my side when we needed to use her. So, it was a very good, balanced environment.’
‘I do love doing my own stunts,’ the actress insisted. ‘I do feel a certain responsibility and performing them, I think it’s part of the job, when you take on a role like that.
‘Of course, you go into something and you actually hope to feel that way – you are a little bit scared, and you hope to deliver what you’re meant to deliver.’
M3GAN 2.0 is in cinemas from June 27.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
