Action movie iconJason Stathamhas faced off with all manner of adversaries. From international terrorists, to highly skilled assassins, to ruthless drug dealers and kidnappers, and even The Rock and Vin Diesel, there is nothing that The Stath cannot stop. Or is there? One of Statham’s most successful movies answers that age-old question, “What if Jason Statham had to kill a kaiju?” Well, fans of the actor and martial artist can now see the results as the action monster movie mash-up is all set to make a splash on a new streaming home.
Jason Statham’s Mysterious New Action Thriller Gets the Perfect Hype From Co-star
In an exclusive chat with MovieWeb’s George Edelman, Ackie teased The Stath’s collaboration with ‘Angel Has Fallen’ director Ric Roman Waugh.
Directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber,The Megis 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 potential chum when a 75-foot-long megalodon escapes from the depths of the Mariana Trench and begins to wreak havoc.The Megis all set to swim ontoHBO Maxfrom July 1, and you may check out the official synopsis below.
“Previously thought to be extinct, a massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific. With time running out, a visionary oceanographer recruits rescue diver Jonas Taylor to save the crew and the sea itself from an unimaginable threat – a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark known as the Megalodon.”
‘The Meg’ Was an Absolute Monster at the Box Office
Largely leaving behind his martial arts talent (sadly he does not just punch the shark),The Megfinds Jason Statham leading the way as a heroic-yet-surprisingly-cynical rescue diver, using his fists and feet and fury to fly through the water and avoid the giant jaws of the titular beast. While the movie was met with a divisive response upon release, as revealed by the 47% from critics and 44% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, it was a monster at the box office, grossing $530 million worldwide and becomingThe Stath’s most successful movieoutside theFast and Furiousfranchise.
Thanks to the monumental box office returns, a sequel,Meg 2: The Trench, was released in 2023.The B-movie creature featurefollow-up was met with even worse reviews from critics (27%) but fared far better with audiences, landing a solid 72% on the Popcornmeter.Meg 2allows Statham to run, jump, and fight a lot more than the first movie, and once again saw success at the box office, leaving audiences awaiting confirmation that a third Meg will eventually surface.
Considering both the box office takings and the fact that there are six “Meg” novels, the studio is surely hoping to continue the franchise, withMeg 2: The TrenchdirectorBen Wheatley hoping to return for more, saying, “You don’t want to talk about it untilMeg 2is out, but I hope [to see a third installment]. There’s a lot more to explore in that world. It’s very rich. The international-ness of it is very interesting.”
