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Hong Kong-based sales outfit Autumn Sun has picked up international sales on Moonlight Madness starring Korean actor Don Lee (The Roundup) in his first ever comedy role and first performance in a Chinese production.

The film also stars Kris Phillips (Creation Of The Gods I & II) as a top lawyer caught in hot waters during an affair in a hotel and features a special appearance by Lee who plays a jealous boyfriend throwing his signature punches.

Autumn Sun is handling sales on the movie in collaboration with Scene One launched by producer Serena Deng Shuo, who is also the film’s producer and credited for bringing Don Lee on board.

“When we first showed Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) the script, he liked it being a comedy”, said Deng. “Having it be a Chinese production is also a first for the action superstar”.

Autumn Sun has already sold the film to Korea’s Big Wave Cinema,...

Action movie icon Jason Stathamis used to being able to punch his enemies into submission. But what if his enemy is a giant prehistoric monster? While he may have faced down several fellow action stars bigger than him, such as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel, 2018’s The Meg throws the actor and martial artist into the jaws of a massive shark, with audiences loving the match-up as the movie makes a splash on streaming.

Directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, The Meg is loosely based on the 1997 novel by Steve Alten. Led by Jason Statham, the rest of the cast includes Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis, all of whom find themselves as living chum when a 75-foot-long megalodon escapes from the depths of the Mariana Trench and begins to wreak havoc. The Meg...

As the poet Tracy Jordan once told Kenneth the Page, "Here's some advice I wish I would have got when I was your age: Live every week like it's Shark Week." The "30 Rock" legend was referring to the Discovery Channel's yearly celebration of all things shark, a programming event where they fill every hour of airtime with nature specials about the terribly toothy monsters. There are enough fictional movies about sharks, however, that you can easily live every single day like it's Shark Day.

If we're being honest, though, many shark movies are pretty bad. That's what made SyFy's "Sharknado" franchise so good -- at least for the first few movies. The franchise expertly skewered shark movies made on the cheap, celebrating questionable CGI as something to be cheered rather than jeered. Shark movie fans know that we have to put up with a garbage to find a gem.

Dragon Ball may not have gotten a worthy live-action adaptation yet, but one epic Jackie Chan fantasy movie comes close to qualifying as a spiritual adaptation of the renowned anime. Created by Akira Toriyama in 1984, Dragon Ball went on to become one of the biggest and most internationally acclaimed shounen anime franchises in the 90s and the aughts. Over the years, the franchise has only grown from strength to strength, paving the way for newer additions, including video games, manga spinoffs, and films.

In 2009, Dragon Ball was also loosely adapted as a live-action movie, Dragonball Evolution, which turned out to be a commercial and critical disaster. Owing to its inability to get anything right about the original anime and manga, the movie was panned by viewers and critics worldwide, forcing many to grow skeptical towards anime-to-cinema adaptations in general. However, before Dragonball Evolution presented one of the worst live-action takes on anime,...

On November 22, 2024, Jason Statham's irresistibly amusing killer shark B-movie The Meg was added to Prime Video in time for the holidays. A so-bad-its-good cinematic gift that keeps on giving, The Meg took a large bite out of its box office competition in 2018, spawning the 2023 sequel, Meg 2: The Trench. In 2025, Statham may reprise his role as Jonas Taylor in The Meg 3: Black Water, which will surely increase the absurd acrobatics and death-defying action scenes.

Marked by a playfully morbid humor, The Meg is a must-see for Statham action movie fans. The crowd-pleasing commercial hit may be best known for Statham getting into a ludicrous fistfight with a shark underwater, but there are still plenty of laugh-out-loud moments to balance the exhilarating shark-hunting action. With The Meg now swimming in Prime Video's streaming waters, breaking down the best and worst moments will help preview the franchise's future.

What Is The Meg About?...

Li Bingbing does not return in Meg 2: The Trench, leaving fans to wonder how Suyin died after The Meg. The sequel sees Jason Statham's Jonas Taylor return to action and fighting megalodons several years after the events of the original movie. Meg 2: The Trench revolves around a core group of characters that are mostly returnees from the first movie, as Meiying, Mac, and DJ are back together and joined by a few new faces. That made Suyin's omission all the more glaring.

Though there are several missing characters in Meg 2, the biggest absence comes with Li Bingbing's Suyin not appearing in Meg 2. She was alive at the conclusion of the last movie and positioned to be a romantic interest for Jason Statham moving forward. Suyin's daughter Meiying returns for the sequel, which also introduces Chinese movie star Jing Wu as Suyin's brother Juiming. Instead of letting questions...

The cast of The Meg was a big reason for the shark movie's box office success when it was released back in 2018. A loose adaptation of the book, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten, the film follows a group of scientists who encounter a 75-foot-long Megalodon shark while on a rescue mission to save a trapped research station called the Mana. Posing a threat to both the scientists and the people on land, Jason Statham's Jonas Taylor and his team must face off against this gigantic beast in a confrontation that is equally silly and entertaining.

At the time, The Meg was the most expensive shark movie ever made (via THR). While the film received mixed reviews, that investment paid off as it earned $529 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo), a large part of that coming China, where the film is most popular.

In the battle of Jason Statham versus a gigantic prehistoric shark, The Meg's ending proves there's only room for One apex predator. The Meg opens with rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) losing two friends while evacuating a damaged submarine. However, nobody believes his story of the sub being attacked by a large creature. Jumping five years later, Jonas is recruited on another rescue mission involving his ex-wife to the Mariana Trench. Beneath the deepest section of the trench, a research team uncovers previously unseen marine life - and a very hungry megalodon.

Jonas, oceanographer Suyin Zhang (Li Bingbing), and the rest of the Mana One crew chase after The Meg's megalodon, which, in turn, kills several of them, including slimy billionaire Jack Morris (Rainn Wilson). The Meg's finale sees the giant beast head for a beach, with Jonas in hot pursuit. The summer blockbuster closes with the...

Action movie superstar Jason Statham has thrown down with all manner of bad guys over the years. From terrorists to assassins to gangsters to The Rock and Vin Diesel, there is nothing that The Stath seemingly cannot handle. But what if the gruff martial artist were to come up against a threat from a kaiju? Well, that question was finally answered in the 2018 science fiction action outing The Meg, which is all ready to make a splash on a new streaming home from tomorrow.

Directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, The Meg is loosely based on the 1997 novel by Steve Alten. Led by Jason Statham, the rest of the cast includes Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis, all of whom find themselves as potential chum when a a 75-foot-long megalodon escapes from the depths of the...

Now that Under Paris is getting a sequel, Jason Stathams blockbuster The Meg franchise finally has some competition as the twenty-first centurys biggest shark horror series. The Megs 2018 success came as something of a surprise in a summer packed with blockbuster hits. The same year that Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Venom, Deadpool 2, and Aquaman dominated the box office, a killer shark movie with one A-list star that spent almost three decades in development hell earned over $500 million. Similarly, Netflixs shark horror Under Paris was a surprise sleeper hit when the low-budget French disaster movie was released.

Related What Kind Of Shark Is Lilith In Under Paris?

Under Paris walks through a gripping face-off between a shark, Lillith, and humans, which makes it hard not to wonder what kind of shark Lillth is.

Since Under Paris cost less than $20 million to make and swiftly became one of Netflixs biggest...

Statham's versatility shines in comedic roles, showing audiences his range beyond action-packed blockbusters. Audiences can enjoy Statham's superhuman feats in unexpected genres, enhancing the thrill of his films. Statham's willingness to embrace different genres and roles ensures that his movies remain fun and exciting to watch.

Jason Statham had made his name in Hollywood starring in blockbusters and explosive action movies, but some of his most rewatchable projects fall in unexpected genres. Working with a variety of directors throughout his career, Statham has played heroes and villains alike, but what holds true about his characters is their ability to achieve superhuman feats of strength and skill. For audiences that have come to know and love Statham's work, it's easy to suspend their disbelief and go along for the thrill rides of his hilarious and exciting films.

Even lending his voice to animated projects on occasion Statham is a great sport...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Meg 2: The Trench!

Meg 2: The Trench features three Megalodons and other deadly sea creatures, resulting in a high mortality rate. Suyin dies off-screen, creating room for new characters and a storyline involving her brother and daughter. Several main characters, including Lance, Sal, Curtis, Jess, Hillary, and Montes, meet their demise throughout the movie, adding to the suspense and danger.

More Megalodons means more death, and here is everyone who dies in Meg 2: The Trench. Jason Statham's action monster franchise returned in 2023 with another adventure pitting Jonas Taylor against giant sharks and other sea creatures. Much like the first movie based on Steve Alten's novels, Meg 2: The Trench sees Jonas and a group of other sea-caring humans become wrapped up in a plot to stop dangerous Megalodons from killing people across the world. This inevitably means putting themselves and others in...

Movies that heavily rely on the prestige of their predecessors often fail to stand on their own, lacking the quality and charm of the originals. Remakes and reboots that attempt to recreate the success of iconic films often fall short, lacking character development and originality. While some films may achieve monetary success, they often fail to capture the essence and cultural impact of the originals they are trying to emulate.

Whether a traditional reboot or a chock-full of references to the original work, movies that rely heavily on the prestige of their predecessors are often destined to fail. In recent years, there has been an uptick in revivals of well-known IPs featuring new casts, or bringing back older actors who have been with the franchise since the beginning. However, this practice of mining the past to pay for the future is a tradition that has existed since storytelling started. If done right,...

The Beekeeper tooks the No. 1 spot worldwide in its opening weekend, beating Mean Girls. The Beekeeper earned $37.1 million globally, while Mean Girls only earned $34.5 million. The Beekeeper stars Jason Statham as a man seeking revenge for his friend's death by a phishing scam. Mean Girls is a musical remake of the 2004 teen comedy movie.

The Beekeeper has become the No. 1 movie worldwide in its opening weekend despite strong competition from Mean Girls. The Beekeeper is an action movie starring Jason Statham as Adam Clay, a beekeeper who seeks violent revenge for the death by suicide of his friend who fell victim to a phishing scam. Mean Girls, on the other hand, is a musical remake of the 2004 teen comedy of the same name, which took No. 1 over The Beekeeper at the domestic box office on the movies' simultaneous opening weekend.

Per Deadline, the The Beekeeper release has taken No. 1 at...

Meg 2: The Trench proves to be Jason Statham's most successful movie of 2023, showcasing the actor's potential in massive movie franchises. The success of The Meg and its sequel highlights a surprising and profitable shift for Statham, known for more serious action films. The Meg franchise offers Statham a star vehicle where he can be the sole focus, unlike his roles in other ongoing series like Fast & Furious and The Expendables.

Jason Statham is one of the biggest action stars of the modern era, and Meg 2: The Trench has proven that it is Statham's real franchise future after the actor's other 2023 box office disappointments. 2023 has been a rough year at the box office for blockbusters, with many movies that seemed like guaranteed hits flopping. Several of Jason Statham's movies have been subject to this problem, with multiple Statham movies failing critically and commercially after being released. Meg 2: The Trench,...

Li Bingbing's absence from The Meg 2 remains a mystery, with no official explanation given for her departure, leading to speculation and conjecture. Li Bingbing, a Chinese superstar, has only appeared in one other movie since her role in the first Meg, possibly indicating a focus on personal matters or other commitments. The Meg 2 provides an explanation for Suyin's absence in a harrowing twist, revealing that the character died between the two movies, leaving her fate open-ended and subject to speculation.

One former cast member from The Meg won't be coming back for its sequel, sparking curiosity about why the Li Bingbing Meg 2: The Trench character is absent. Directed by Ben Wheatley, Meg 2 is based on a science-fiction novel The Trench by Steve Alten and picks up after the events of the first movie, in which a research team had a brush with a Megalodon thought to...

Stars: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Cliff Curtis, Sienna Guillory, Melissanthi Mahut | Written by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Dean Georgaris | Directed Ben Wheatley

There was a significant degree of excitement in horror circles when it was announced that British director Ben Wheatley was going to be directing the sequel to 2018’s Jason Statham vs Giant Shark blockbuster The Meg. The hope was that Wheatley’s horror sensibilities and eye for jet-black humour would add a bit of bite to what was otherwise a passably entertaining, but ultimately uninspired Jaws retread. Unfortunately, those hopes have not come to pass, as there’s very little trace of the acclaimed British director’s signature touch in this largely derivative sequel.

The plot, such as it is, essentially boils down to “Jason Statham vs More Giant Sharks”, though this time round, his character Jonas Taylor has had...

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Less than two months after its release in theaters, “The Meg 2: The Trench” is diving into the streaming world. The big-budget sequel arrives on Max on Sept. 29.

The film, about a murderous 80-foot prehistoric shark, is directed by “Rebecca” helmer Ben Wheatley, who takes the reins from Jon Turteltaub. Turteltaub directed the first installment of the franchise, which took $530 million worldwide. Jason Statham reprises his role in the sequel, which also stars Wu Jing, Cliff Curtis, Sienna Guillory, Skyler Samuels, Page Kennedy, Shuya Sophia Cai and Sergio Peris-Mencheta. Li Bingbing, who led “The Meg” opposite Statham, is not a part of the sequel.

In order to stream the film, you’ll have to sign up for a Max account, with subscriptions starting at $9.99/Month. You can also access...

Suyin's death in Meg 2 changes the franchise's future and deviates from the books, impacting the story and characters in Meg 3 and future sequels. Meg 2 introduces Suyin's brother Jiuming and gives Meiying a bigger role as the franchise prepares to move forward without Suyin. The absence of Suyin leaves room for a new love interest for Jason Statham's character in Meg 3, potentially reintroducing Lori as Jonas' ex-wife.

Meg 2: The Trench delivered a surprise by killing Li Bingbing's Suyin off-screen, and her death completely changes the franchise's future. The Jason Statham-led action sequel made headlines well before its release in 2023 due to the absence of original The Meg star Li Bingbing. The popular Chinese actress was confirmed to be missing from the sequel, which created questions about how Meg 2 would explain Suyin not being included. The story evolved to introduce her brother Jiuming (Jing Wu) as a new ally...

There's no shortage of movies circulating monthly, whether it's a new or older pick. With that said, some months have more heavily-anticipated features than others. For example, July 2023 brought the world the infamous Barbenheimer feud, and the rest of 2023 has some notable releases coming. But many movies from August are worth checking out.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem follows the turtle brothers as they start to immerse themselves into the human world, hoping to fit in with the folks of New York City. This charming and comedic movie is only complimented by its cast, including the teenage actors behind Mutant Mayhem's turtles. A few names involved in the flick are Seth Rogan, Giancarlo Esposito, Jackie Chan, and Ice Cube.

Tmnt: Mutant Mayhem is still playing in some theaters, having dropped on August 2.

Related: Tmnt: Mutant Mayhem Takes a Stance on One of...

Meg 2: The Trench brings back familiar faces from the first movie but Jessica McNamee's character, Lori, is missing without any explanation. Suyin's absence in the sequel is explained, but Lori's absence is never mentioned, leaving her status a mystery. McNamee expressed interest in returning for Meg 2 but was not included in the cast, despite potential availability in her schedule. The reason for her exclusion remains unknown.

Blockbuster sequel Meg 2: The Trench brought back a handful of fan-favorite cast members from the first movie, but Jessica McNamee and her character Lori are nowhere to be seen. Meg 2: The Trench sees Jason Statham’s freelance megalodon hunter Jonas Taylor springing back into action when an illegal deep sea drilling operation unleashes a ruthless pack of megs. While the sequel brings back a bunch of familiar faces from the first film, from Cliff Curtis’ “straight man” Mac to Page Kennedy...

Fans are puzzled by Li Bingbing's absence from Meg 2: The Trench, and speculation arises about her reasons for not reprising her role. The sequel introduces Chinese movie star Jing Wu as Suyin's brother, adding intrigue to the dynamic of the film. Li Bingbing's commitment to environmental advocacy may have influenced her decision to focus on other projects, potentially shifting her career away from acting.

Fans were baffled by Li Bingbing, who played oceanographer Suyin Zhang in the first movie, being conspicuously absent from Meg 2: The Trench, a sequel to the undersea thriller The Meg. Although the new movie had even more horrifying underwater thrills, it appeared that Li Bingbing's character wouldn't be going underwater this time. Viewers have wondered why Li Bingbing isn't in Meg 2: The Trench.

As anticipation for the movie rises following its release, more questions have been raised. Despite Li Bingbing's absence, the...

Director Ben Wheatley's unique approach in Meg 2: The Trench signals a shift towards a wider, more comedic appeal for the franchise's future. Meg 3 is expected to maintain essential cast members, while also potentially featuring the return of international star Li Bingbing, setting the stage for an evolving narrative. The conclusion of Meg 2: The Trench hints at the perilous battle against juvenile Megs in Meg 3, promising a deeper exploration of the franchise's captivating underwater realm.

As interest in Meg 2: The Trench hits an all-time high due to its recent release in theaters, excitement for the following chapter, The Meg 3, is swiftly building. This series is well-known for its combination of scary monsters and heart-racing aquatic adventures, and it is about to start another voyage.

Ben Wheatley, noted for his unique approach in films like High Rise, is at the helm of Meg 2: The Trench. Wheatley's distinct...

The following contains spoilers for Meg 2: The Trench, in theaters now.

Meg 2: The Trench is the pulse-pounding sequel to the 2018 shark movie The Meg. The new film is currently set to take a sizable bite out of the box office. More than likely, this will lead to the series continuing with a third film that's also based on a Steve Alten novel. If so, there's a chance that the most ridiculous elements of the source material could be brought to the big screen.

As over the top as the Meg movies have been, the novels that they're based on are even wilder. Even with all the changes to the films, it's likely that a third film would draw quite a bit from these books. If so, Jonas Taylor's next aquatic adventure will involve his most intense and outlandish megalodon encounters yet.

Related: Meg 2: The Trench Improves...

The top-earning film at the box office this weekend wasn’t “Barbie,” but rather “The Meg 2: The Trench.” The Warner Bros. Discovery/Cmc Pictures shark tale earned $142 million worldwide in its global debut, including a robust $53.3 million in China.

That opening weekend was already 11% higher than “Jurassic World Dominion,” 41% above “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” and more than double “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.” It is also higher than the $50 million first weekend posted by “The Meg” in China back in August 2018.

It’s a big deal that “The Meg 2: The Trench” is performing anything like a pre-covid business-as-usual Hollywood tentpole. The key advantage might be old-fashioned star power.

The earlier Jason Statham/Li Bingbing-led actioner eventually earned $153 million of its $530 million total in the Middle Kingdom. If the sequel, which swaps Li for Wu Jing, legs out accordingly, we could see a $162 million Chinese total.

Where to Watch Powered by Meg 2: The Trench surprises by surpassing Oppenheimer at the weekend box office, despite negative reviews and a press tour cut short. The sequel's success lies in its international audience, with a domestic gross of $30 million and a worldwide tally of $142 million. The appeal of international stars like Wu Jing, paired with Jason Statham, contributes to the film's popularity overseas.

Meg 2: The Trench manages to surpass Oppenheimer at the box office this weekend in a surprising upset. Despite mixed reviews, 2018's The Meg was a commercial success, grossing over $530.2 million worldwide. With the "Barbenheimer" box office battle still going strong, the assumption was that Meg 2: The Trench wouldn't open as strongly as the first film, especially because this installment received overwhelmingly negative reviews a day before it was released in theaters.

Now, Warner Bros. has revealed the official box office numbers for Meg 2: The Trench,...

The 2018 movie, The Meg, told the thrilling tale of Jonas Taylor, a rescue diver portrayed by the talented Jason Statham. Alongside oceanographer Suyin Zhang, played by Bingbing Li, they stumbled upon an unexplored world deep in the ocean beyond the Mariana Trench's presumed end. Their discovery led to the awakening of a living megalodon shark, wreaking havoc on a nearby beach until they managed to stop it.

The much-awaited sequel to Ben Wheatley's The Meg, Meg 2: The Trench, continues the story while plunging into the perilous and ominous ocean depths. Additionally featured in the movie are Cliff Curtis, Jing Wu, Shuya Sophia Cai, and Page Kennedy. The film begins with a flashback to the Cretaceous period, showcasing the brutality of nature as predators became prey and the Meg eventually triumphed. The movie's central theme—that nature cannot be entirely domesticated or tamed—is expressed in this way.

Tangled...

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being reviewed here wouldn't exist. This article also contains major spoilers for "Meg 2: The Trench."

Every summer movie season deserves a killer shark flick! After all, it was a killer shark movie that pretty much kicked off what we now know as the "summer blockbuster" way back in 1975, the immortal "Jaws." Because of that film's success, every killer shark venture is inevitably compared to that Spielberg classic, its three sequels, and the large number of copies that appeared immediately in its wake. In a subgenre that's been through the waves of popularity, postmodernism, and back, there's not a ton that's wholly new out there in the ocean.

For that reason, the Sharksploitation subgenre has generally settled into a pattern not unlike the slasher, an "if it ain't broke,...

Several characters from The Meg, including Suyin Zhang, Lori, and Jaxx, do not return for Meg 2: The Trench. Suyin Zhang, played by Li Bingbing, survives The Meg but sits out the events of Meg 2, while her daughter Meiying returns. Lori, played by Jessica McNamee, survives the Meg's attacks but is nowhere to be seen in Meg 2, and Jaxx, played by Ruby Rose, also does not come back after her close encounter with the shark.

A number of characters from 2018's The Meg don't return for Meg 2: The Trench. Based on Steve Alten's 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, The Meg centers on aquatic expert Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) and a team of marine biologists exploring the Mariana Trench. To their surprise, they encounter a pre-history deep sea predator known as a Megalodon, or Meg, a species of whale-sized sharks believed to have long been extinct. With a combination of state-of-the-art effects,...

Stars: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, Cliff Curtis, Sienna Guillory, Melissanthi Mahut | Written by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Dean Georgaris | Directed Ben Wheatley

There was a significant degree of excitement in horror circles when it was announced that British director Ben Wheatley was going to be directing the sequel to 2018’s Jason Statham vs Giant Shark blockbuster The Meg. The hope was that Wheatley’s horror sensibilities and eye for jet-black humour would add a bit of bite to what was otherwise a passably entertaining, but ultimately uninspired Jaws retread. Unfortunately, those hopes have not come to pass, as there’s very little trace of the acclaimed British director’s signature touch in this largely derivative sequel.

The plot, such as it is, essentially boils down to “Jason Statham vs More Giant Sharks”, though this time round, his character Jonas Taylor has had...

Plot: When an evil mining operation unearths prehistoric beasts from the ocean’s depths, including multiple megalodons, rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) must suit up to face the return of an old enemy.

Review: 2018’s The Meg overcame middling reviews (including one from yours truly) to become an unlikely global success at the box office. Like its predecessor, Meg 2: The Trench is based on a novel by author Steve Alten, and what’s exciting to genre fans is that the great Ben Wheatley is behind the camera. For those who may not know his work, Wheatley is widely considered one of the UK’s best genre directors, with him having made Kill List, Sightseers, Free Fire, High Rise and – recently – the Netflix remake of Rebecca. This is different for him because it’s a big-budget event movie. How does it fare compared to the original?

Honestly, it’s a mixed bag.

"The Meg," the movie that dared ask, "What if a shark ... was really big?", now has a sequel that asks, "What if there were even more really big sharks? And also, what if we made that boring?" A film destined for the August dumping pile, "Meg 2: The Trench" is notable because it comes from filmmaker Ben Wheatley, a director responsible for the disturbing masterpiece "Kill List," the J.G. Ballard adaptation "High Rise," and more. Wheatley is an excellent filmmaker, and the idea of giving him a blockbuster budget to make a giant shark movie is enticing, at least on paper. Sadly, Wheatley can't work his magic here, as he's saddled with a clunky, dull, low-energy script by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris. Just how do you make a movie about gigantic prehistoric sharks chomping on modern-day humans so dull? It's kind of impressive.

Once again our human...

Given his grounding in visceral horror and thrillers laced with a mischievous vein of dark humor, Ben Wheatley seemed an intriguing choice to take the directing reins on Meg 2: The Trench, the sequel to the 2018 B-movie about a megalodon terrorizing a bunch of scientists and Jason Statham before homing in on a buffet of beachgoers.

The good news is that Statham’s back, bringing his rugged charm and tough-guy self-irony to sparkling dialogue like “I’ve got this,” “Shit!” and “See ya later, chum,” that last one delivered as he dispatches a prehistoric shark. The disappointing news is that the big, dumb fun promised by a terrific trailer — ingeniously cut to the 1977 Heart banger, “Barracuda” — only materializes intermittently in a movie that too often struggles to find the balance between suspense and monster-size silliness.

To be fair to Wheatley, the Brit director is not helped much by Jon Hoeber,...

For a certain class of cinephile, the news that Ben Wheatley (Ben Wheatley! “Kill List” and “Free Fire” and “A Field in England” Ben Wheatley!) was directing the sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 hit “The Meg” could only be met with joy and confusion. If nothing else, it suggested a big-budget film about Jason Statham fighting massive prehistoric sharks that would actually be fucked up, creepy and scary and weird and spine-tingling. Alas, “Meg 2: The Trench” is none of those things, and only occasionally (perhaps even accidentally) fun, yet another seemingly unassailable combination of story and filmmaker that fails to capitalize on any of its obvious promises.

It’s never a good sign when you’re checking your watch during a film — especially a film built on the inherently entertaining elevator pitch of “Jason Statham fights massive prehistoric sharks!” — but audiences will likely find themselves doing just that during...

Five years ago, The Meg came out and was a pleasant summer-ending surprise. Placing its tongue firmly in its cheek for 113 minutes, the watery spectacle allowed us to watch the ever-watchable Jason Statham go mano-a-mano with a 75-foot shark. The idea behind the movie (which was based on a much more sober-minded novel by Steve Alten than had been in development for nearly a quarter century) was apparently to make a good old-fashioned monster movie with a few knowing winks to the audience.

The Meg’s box office success and its final shot also virtually ensured a sequel, so now Meg 2: The Trench arrives with Statham and a few other holdovers back for another round. Meanwhile workmanlike director Jon Turtletaub has been replaced this time by the eccentric indie maverick Ben Wheatley.

Set 10 years after the first film, the screenplay by Jon and Erich Hoeber and Dean Georgaris (the...

Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 movie The Meg (watch it at This Link) delivered on its promise of being a “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” adventure – and now director Ben Wheatley’s sequel Meg 2: The Trench is set to reach theatres on August 4th. In a newly released featurette, which you can watch in the embed above, Wheatley says his intention with this film was to make a supercharged sequel with bigger creatures and bigger action… and judging by the footage on display in the featurette, it definitely looks like this follow-up has a change of being better and more exciting than its predecessor.

The screenplay for Meg 2: The Trench has been written by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, the same writing team that was on the first film. These films are inspired by a series of novels written by Steve Alten.

Jason Statham is back in...

Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley’s sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” movie The Meg (watch it at This Link), is set to reach theatres on August 4th – and while this sequel will feature multiple giant sharks, those aren’t the only prehistoric creatures that will be rampaging across the screen. In fact, a newly released promo, which you can check out in the embed above, says that this time “the Megs are just the beginning”. One of the other giant creatures we’ll be seeing in Meg 2: The Trench is an octopus, and you can get a glimpse of some giant octopus action in this promo, including a moment where the octopus gets in a fight with a Meg! A moment that brings to mind the 2009 classic Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus.

The screenplay for Meg 2: The Trench has been written by Dean Georgaris,...

Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley’s sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” movie The Meg (watch it at This Link), is set to reach theatres on August 4th – and with that date right around the corner, Warner Bros. has unveiled a new poster for the film… one that features multiple sea creatures lurking beneath unsuspecting swimmers. You can check it out at the bottom of this article.

And if that one doesn’t handle your craving for new Meg 2 promotional art, maybe one of these new posters will:

#Meg2 Meg 2 releases posters for IMAX、Cinity、中国巨幕、Dolby、MX4D and Wanos pic.twitter.com/hNu7MXFPvp

— Meg 2: the trench (@Latteeaaee) July 17, 2023

The screenplay for Meg 2: The Trench has been written by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, the same writing team that was on the first film. These films are inspired...

Meg 2: The Trench updates are starting to arrive for the sequel to the 2018 blockbuster starring Jason Statham. Directed by Jon Turteltaub, The Meg is based on Steve Alten's 1997 book Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, and its release marked an exciting new addition to the Sharksploitation sub-genre. As a Chinese-American co-production, the film also introduced actress Li Bingbing to many Western moviegoers. The movie's sequel gained momentum in October 2020, when Meg 2: The Trench updates revealed Ben Wheatley was announced as Meg 2: The Trench director.

Before joining the director's chair for Meg 2: The Trench, the English filmmaker is best known for horror movies such as Kill List and Sightseers, and in recent years, Wheatley explored other genres with High-Rise, Free Fire, and Rebecca. Clearly no stranger to ambitious projects, the first thing that Wheatley started doing was talking about how large-scale the sequel would be, and...

Last week, Warner Bros. unveiled the trailer for Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley’s sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” movie The Meg (watch it at This Link). If that trailer left you wondering if the sea creature mayhem of this film was going to boost it into the R rating territory, you can stop wondering. Because it hasn’t. Just like The Meg, Meg 2: The Trench has earned a PG-13 rating. The Motion Picture Association ratings board has given it a PG-13 for action/violence, some bloody images, language and brief suggestive material.

The screenplay for Meg 2: The Trench has been written by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, the same writing team that was on the first film. These films are inspired by a series of novels written by Steve Alten.

Jason Statham is back in the lead...

For some people, horror cinema is defined by scrappy outsiders who make films on shoestring budgets, but that's not really what it's all about — and it never has been. Since the beginning, horror has been an extremely popular (and profitable) film genre, and one successful horror movie usually begets multiple follow-ups.

As the characters in "Scream 2" note in the film's meta-commentary, sequels are a controversial topic among movie fans, and they're not always well-received from a critical standpoint. However, even if fans are skeptical, they'll probably still show up to the theater to see the newest entry in their favorite series. And while horror sequels often receive the ire of fans and critics — think "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" or the completely unnecessary "I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer" — there are also sequels that equal or improved upon the original, like "Aliens" or "Evil Dead II....

While the titular sharks steal the spotlight in Meg 2: The Trench, there are plenty of recognizable stars in the movie's cast, including returning icons Jason Statham and Cliff Curtis and exciting new additions like Wu Jing and Skyler Samuels. When it was released in 2018, The Meg was a surprise hit with audiences, grossing more than $530 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo), so a sequel was a no-brainer. This time, instead of contending with just one megalodon — and later an even bigger one — like Statham did in the first movie, Meg 2 sees him taking on a bunch of megalodons as they begin hunting in packs.

Based on Steve Alten’s 1999 novel The Trench, which is the second installment of his Meg series, the sequel was written by the returning trio of Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris. Replacing the original's director, Jon Turteltaub, and making his big-budget blockbuster debut,...

The makers of ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Warner Bros. Pictures have released the first official trailer, unleashing more sea monsters.

In the upcoming film, Jason Statham returns as rescue diver Jonas Taylor, who is back underwater to explore an ancient ecosystem, only to encounter these prehistoric creatures, reports aaceshowbiz.com.

This time, Statham is joined by Wu Jing, Sienna Guillory, Cliff Curtis and Shuya Sophia to face one of the biggest sea creatures in recorded history. Together, they have to keep terror off the shore, fighting these beasts with some advanced technology and even literally bare feet.

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ is described as a literally larger-than-life thrill ride that supersizes the 2018 blockbuster and takes the action to higher heights and even greater depths with multiple massive Megs and so much more.

“Dive into uncharted waters with Jason Statham and global action icon Wu Jing as they lead a daring...

Jason Statham comes face to face with not one, not two, but three deep sea-dwelling prehistoric sharks, along with some giant creature with a bunch of tentacles, in the first official trailer for “Meg 2: The Trench.”

Shortly after “The Meg” grossed $530 million worldwide in 2018, a sequel was confirmed. The original film followed a group of scientists whose submarine was attacked by a Megalodon — a species of giant shark previously thought to be extinct. Now, Warner Bros. has pulled back the curtain on the film after debuting its first trailer ahead of the movie’s Aug. 4 premiere.

The new footage unveils Statham teaming up with Wu Jing, a massive star in China who has starred in blockbusters such as “The Wandering Earth,” “Wolf Warrior” and “The Battle at Lake Changjin.” The pair lead an underwater journey to the bottom of the ocean to investigate new creatures, before taking on a...

Last month, attendees at CinemaCon – including JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray – had the chance to watch the first trailer for Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley’s sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” movie The Meg (watch it at This Link). Now those of us who weren’t at CinemaCon get our chance to watch the trailer, which is now online. Check it out in the embed above!

The screenplay for Meg 2: The Trench has been written by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, the same writing team that was on the first film. These films are inspired by a series of novels written by Steve Alten.

Jason Statham is back in the lead as rescue diver Jonas Taylor and is joined in the cast of the sequel by returning co-stars Cliff Curtis, Shuya Sophia Cai, and Page Kennedy, as well as...

The Warner Bros. presentation at CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, is currently in progress, and as part of the presentation they showed attendees the first trailer for Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley’s sequel to Jon Turteltaub’s 2018 “Jason Statham vs. a giant shark” movie The Meg (watch it at This Link).

JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray was in attendance to see the trailer, and this is what he had to say about it: “First trailer: We see footage of The Meg killing dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Looks much more expensive than the last movie. Jonas (Jason Statham) is sent into the trench the deal with whatever creature is down there – which of course is The Meg! Wu Jing, from Wolf Warrior, is a co-star. This version of The Meg is bigger because it’s an Apex predator. It escapes The Trench and starts eating people.

Features include Golden Horse Awards nominee ‘Coo-Coo 42’.

Distribution Workshop, one of Asia’s leading film sales agents, is set to launch three features to buyers in Busan including Golden Horse Awards frontrunner Coo-Coo 43.

At the Asian Contents and Film Market (Oct 8-11), the Taiwanese company will also commence sales on two new dramas produced by China’s Bona Group: In Search Of Lost Time and Ordinary Hero. It marks first in-person market for the Taipei-based firm since the start of the pandemic.

Coo-Coo 043 is written and directed by Chan Ching Lin (The Island That All Flow By) and tracks the...

Members of "'The Meg' Was Good, Actually" club, I come bearing exciting news. The sequel to the 2018 giant prehistoric shark action-thriller has not only gotten a fresh title, it's also kicked off production, with Ben Wheatley directing.

Variety reports that "Meg 2: The Trench" (*cue the obligatory "Drop the 'The.' Just 'Meg.' It's cleaner" joke*), as it's now known, has started filming in the U.K., with Jason Statham and Bingbing Li expected to reprise their roles from the first "Meg" movie. However, before you assume it ripped off the title of James Wan's canceled "Aquaman" spinoff film "The Trench" — which, as...

The post The Meg 2 Gets a New Title, Dives Into Production appeared first on /Film.

The sequel to Jason Statham-fronted shark thriller “The Meg” has begun shooting in the U.K., Variety can confirm.

Production on “Meg 2: The Trench” has kicked off with a splash at Warner Bros.-owned Leavesden Studios outside London, where the Harry Potter and Batman franchises were also shot.

The film, about a murderous 80-foot prehistoric shark, is directed by “Rebecca” helmer Ben Wheatley, who takes the reins from Jon Turteltaub. Turteltaub directed the first instalment of the franchise, which took $530 million worldwide.

Statham and Bingbing Li are expected to reprise their roles in the sequel: Statham as U.S. Navy rescue diver Jonas and Li as oceanographer Suyin..

Screenwriters Dean Georgaris, Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber have also returned for the mega-shark’s big screen second outing as have producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery and executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying.

Statham will next be seen in “The Expendables 4...

Chinese studio Bona Film Group has taken a stake in Hesong Media, the talent agency founded by A-list actress Li Bingbing, co-star of last year's giant shark blockbuster The Meg with Jason Statham.

Hesong declined to share the size of the investment, but said Bona would become the agency's second-largest shareholder. The deal was unveiled at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where Bona held a lavish party celebrating its 20th anniversary in business.

Li launched Hesong in 2009 to manage her own acting career in China and nurture a stable of Chinese screen talent, such as TV star ...