M3GAN’s screenwriter, Akela Cooper, has revealed why she thinks the killer doll has been such a hit among LGBTQ+ viewers.

The newly released film is a science fiction horror comedy which follows an artificially intelligent doll who develops self-awareness and becomes hostile to anyone who comes between her and her human companion.

Its trailer had a heavy emphasis on its campy blend of horror and humour, particularly thanks to the doll’s fashion sense and choreographed dance routines.

However, it’s not this that Cooper credits for its instant cult following from the LGBTQ+ community.

“I actually asked one of my friends who is a gay man about that and he was saying this set-up is actually found family, where this little girl has lost her family, and she has to go live with her aunt,” she told ScreenRant. “Then this doll is also brought into the situation. That resonates for a lot of people in the gay community, the idea of found family.”

Cooper’s comments quickly went viral online, with a number of people arguing that the real reason for its success among LGBTQ+ viewers is a lot simpler than this.

“She’s literally just serving c**t,” one wrote on Twitter.

A second added: “Gays love camp and mama is CAMP.”

“They just like the wig and the murder babe,” said a third.

“I don’t know a single gay that was like, yup she’s speaking to my experiences,” claimed another.

M3GAN was released on 6 January and has quickly become a box office success, so far grossing $53 million against a budget of $12 million.

You can watch the trailer below or by clicking here.