You heard it here, folks, the most ridiculous summer smash of 2018 is getting a follow-up sequel and, let’s be honest, it’s not a huge surprise. The Meg was an undeniable box-office sensation, earning over $530 million worldwide.
While critics were more tepid on the shark thriller, most big blockbuster action movies get sequels nowadays if they perform well at the box office. The Meg 2: The Trench was announced as being in development in October 2018 by executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying.
But a lot has happened in the intervening two and a half years. Here’s what we know about The Meg 2: The Trench, what we can expect, and when we can expect it.
The Meg 2: The Trench cast: Will Jason Statham return for The Meg 2?
Jason Statham is set to reprise his role the formerly disgraced rescue diver Jonas Taylor and is also said to be involved in the overall creative process. In addition, most of the key talent is expected to return.
This means we’ll likely be seeing Li Bingbing as Suyin, Jonas’ love interest, as well as Ruby Rose as Jaxx, and Page Kennedy as DJ amongst others (aka, those not devoured by the giant shark!).
Behind the camera, The Meg 2: The Trench has confirmed that British horror director Ben Wheatley (Rebecca, High Rise) has been tapped to helm the sequel. He recently revealed: “I’m storyboarding at the moment. It’s been going on for four months, five months. It’s my happy place, I love storyboarding.
“So yeah, I’m cutting storyboards and watching animatics, and slowly constructing the movie.” According to The Hollywood Reporter: “Jon and Erich Hoeber wrote the most recent draft working off an initial draft by Dean Georgaris (all three shared credit on the initial outing).”
The Meg 2: The Trench plot: What will The Meg 2 be about?
While The Meg is mostly a redemption story for Jonas (as well as him coming to terms with his interest in Suyin while realising he’s not yet ready for a relationship) it does end on an open note with Jonas contemplating a holiday with Suyin and her daughter Meiying (Sophia Cai). More importantly, though, the film actually closes with the sounds of other Megalodons in the water, meaning that more of the Meg’s species escaped from the trench and are ready to wreak havoc.
This means that The Meg 2: The Trench is an open book of possibilities. One thing is for sure, though: it will feature some giant sharks. In fact, it will feature at least two according to Wheatley. “It’s really exciting. It’s just action on a massive, massive scale… guaranteed, there will be a megalodon – maybe more than one.”
When will The Meg 2 be out in cinemas?
Currently in post-production, The Meg 2 has set itself a target release date of August 4, 2023. Of course, as with many other movies, this could potentially change, especially when one considers that the first movie had a delayed release, although diehard fans will be hoping for the date to stay as it is. With the original The Meg releasing in theaters back in 2018, it is no surprise to learn that this sequel will follow suit. After a successful run at the Box Office the first time around, the production team will be hoping for a similar outcome with ticket sales for The Meg 2.
The Meg 2 trailer
