Action movie superstar Jason Statham has thrown down with all manner of villains over the years, facing off against onslaughts of anonymous henchmen, various gangsters, corrupt cops, and even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel. But The Stath faces a threat beyond even his fist-throwing skills in the 116-minute sci-fi action thriller epic that’s now making a major splash on streaming.
Jason Statham Faces His Biggest Threat Ever…
Adding to his “The…” series following the likes of The Transporter and The Beekeeper, Jason Statham takes the lead, and takes to the high seas, in The Meg franchise, starring as heroic-yet-surprisingly-cynical rescue diver forced to save the world from a monstrously prehistoric threat from the depths of the Earth.
Directed by Ben Wheatley, Statham is joined by Wu Jing alongside Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, and Cliff Curtis in Meg 2: The Trench, which is now dominating the charts on HBO Max in the U.K., where it’s also available to stream in the U.S. and elsewhere. The blockbuster sequel vastly increases the monster mash action kicked off by its predecessor, adding giant squids and reptilian beasts to the giant shark mayhem as a malevolent mining operation threatens The Stath and his research team’s exploratory mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival.
‘The Trench’ Director Has the Perfect Idea for ‘The Meg 3’
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Jason Statham in Meg 2: The Trench (2023) Warner Bros. Pictures -
Jason Statham battling a megalodon in Meg 2 Warner Bros. Pictures -
Jason Statham in Meg 2: The Trench Warner Bros. Pictures
Despite some box office setbacks this year, the popularity of The Stath remains. Particularly on streaming. Meg 2: The Trench is currently beating the likes of Barbie, Gone Girl, and Band of Brothers: Legacy on HBO Max while trailing just behind new DCU release Supergirl.
While not quite as big a box office hit as its $529 million predecessor, Meg 2 still made waves with a worldwide total of $398.5 million against a $129 million budget. Somewhat savaged by critics at the time, Meg 2: The Trench scored a “rotten” 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, a severe drop from the original’s 47%, but won over audiences with a vastly improved 72% on the Popcornmeter, compared to the first outing’s 44%.
Despite such monumental box office, The Meg 3 has yet to be given the greenlight. Considering there are six “Meg” novels, there is plenty for the franchise to mine from, with Meg 2: The Trench director Ben Wheatley hoping to return for more. However, the filmmaker revealed just this year that he currently doesn’t know what’s going on with a third movie, before jokingly adding that “what I want to do is have The Meg being researched for military purposes, and it gets up on land, on with legs (laughs).” Which sounds perfect, as watching The Stath exchange kicks with a Megalodon would surely be the eighth wonder of the world.
- Runtime
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116 minutes
- Writers
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Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
- Producers
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Belle Avery, E. Bennett Walsh, Gerald R. Molen, Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Erik Howsam, Randy Greenberg, Cate Adams, Ying Xujun
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
