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The Meg

December 02, 2023

This article is about the 2018 film. For other uses, see Meg (disambiguation).

The Meg is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, loosely based on the 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten.[3][1] The film stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis. In the plot, a group of scientists encounters a 75-foot-long (23 m) megalodon shark while on a rescue mission on the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

The Meg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJon Turteltaub
Screenplay by
  • Dean Georgaris
  • Jon Hoeber
  • Erich Hoeber
Based onMeg: A Novel of Deep Terror
by Steve Alten
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyTom Stern
Edited by
  • Steven Kemper
  • Kelly Matsumoto
Music byHarry Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros. Pictures
Release date
  • August 10, 2018 (2018-08-10) (United States)
Running time
113 minutes[1]
Countries
  • China
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$130 million
Box office$530.2 million[2]

Walt Disney Studios originally purchased the film rights to the novel in the 1990s, but the film spent years in development hell. The rights eventually landed at Warner Bros. Pictures, and the film was green-lit in 2013. Turteltaub and much of the cast joined by September 2014. Principal photography began in October 2016 and lasted until January 2017, occurring in New Zealand and China.[4][5]

The Meg was released in the United States on August 10, 2018. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success, grossing over $530 million worldwide against a production budget of $130 million. A sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, was released on August 2023.

Plot edit

Jonas Taylor is a rescue diver who attempts to save the crew of a damaged nuclear submarine when he sees the hull being rammed by an unidentified creature. Two of his crew are trapped in the damaged sub, but Jonas is forced to flee, realizing that attempting rescue would result in the deaths of everyone he has already saved. Jonas' account of the story is dismissed by fellow survivor Dr. Heller, who denounces his actions as the result of pressure-induced psychosis.

Five years later, billionaire Jack Morris meets Dr. Minway Zhang at the underwater research facility Mana One. Zhang and his oceanographer daughter Suyin supervise a mission to explore what turns out to be a deeper section of the Mariana Trench, previously concealed by a thermocline of hydrogen sulfide. The mission submersible is piloted by Japanese scientist Toshi, an American scientist referred to as "The Wall," and Jonas' ex-wife Lori. They discover an abundance of never-before-seen flora and fauna below the thermocline, but an attack by a large, unidentified creature causes the submersible to lose contact with Mana One. Jonas' old friend and Mana One operations manager, James "Mac" Mackreides, suggests sending Jonas down to attempt a rescue.

Despite the objections of Heller (now a member of the Mana One crew), Zhang and Mac venture to Thailand to recruit Jonas, who is now a drunken loner. Jonas is initially skeptical but relents after listening to a taped recording containing the dialogue between Lori, her crew and Mana One. Suyin attempts the rescue in their absence but is attacked by a giant squid. Before the squid can crush her submersible, it is killed by an enormous shark. Having agreed to help, Jonas breaches the thermocline and reaches the sunken submersible. When the shark returns and attacks the submersible before the evacuation has been completed, Toshi sacrifices himself to help the others escape.

Returning to Mana One, the crew discovers the giant shark is a megalodon or "Meg", a prehistoric species of shark previously believed to be extinct. While discussing how to address it, Suyin's daughter Meiying encounters and narrowly avoids an attack from the shark outside Mana One's underwater tunnels. The crew realizes that the Meg pursued them through a temporary break they caused in the thermocline and resolves to go out and track the Meg before killing it with poison. After the Meg destroys three nearby shark fin-fishing ships, Jonas enters the water to shoot the Meg with a tracker, and then the team puts Suyin in a shark-proof tank so she can shoot the Meg with poison. However, the mission goes awry when the shark attacks the cage and cracks Suyin's mask, causing her to lose oxygen. She manages to poison the shark just as Jonas manages to get her out of the cage. The Meg returns and attacks Jonas and Suyin, but it gets snagged on the cage's line and dies from the poison.

But in their moment of triumph, a second larger Meg (revealed to be the individual that attacked the group earlier back at the trench) emerges, devouring The Wall and the dead Meg, critically wounding Zhang and destroying the crew's ship. Heller sacrifices himself by distracting the Meg to save fellow crew member Jaxx. Mac swims out to a floating lifeboat so that he and the crew can regroup at Mana One, though Zhang dies on the way. The shark gives chase, but it is deterred by a helicopter Morris called in. Back at the station, Morris claims that he has informed all the neighbouring governments about the Meg and that they have sent two destroyers to torpedo the shark while secretly enlisting a mercenary team to kill the shark with depth charges, but they accidentally kill a whale. Realizing the Meg is near, the team speeds away but Morris falls overboard and is eaten. The team soon learns of Morris' deceit and resolves to kill the Meg themselves.

The Meg attacks a crowded beach in Sanya Bay in China and devours several beachgoers before the Mana One crew uses a whale call to divert its attention toward them. Jonas and Suyin board submersibles and work together to kill the Meg, but Suyin is forced to break off to save the others when a helicopter crashing into their ship forces them into the water. Jonas takes on the Meg alone and despite his submarine taking damage, he wounds the beast with his damaged submersible and stabs it in the eye, spilling its blood and attracting a shiver of modern sharks that devour the dying Meg.

Jonas reunites with the rest of the Mana One crew on a passing wedding boat and considers taking a vacation with Suyin and Meiying. Meanwhile, in the water, a passing Meg is heard, suggesting that more than two escaped the trench.

Cast edit

  • Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor, a diver who specializes in deep sea search and rescue
  • Li Bingbing as Suyin, an oceanographer aboard the research vessel Mana
  • Rainn Wilson as Morris, a billionaire funding the Mana
  • Cliff Curtis as Mac, the managing researcher of the Mana
  • Winston Chao as Zhang, Suyin's father, Meiying's grandfather
  • Sophia Cai as Meiying, Suyin’s 8 year old daughter and Minway's granddaughter
  • Ruby Rose as Jaxx, an engineer aboard the Mana
  • Page Kennedy as DJ, another engineer
  • Robert Taylor as Heller, a medical doctor aboard the Mana
  • Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as "The Wall", a member of Lori's crew
  • Jessica McNamee as Lori, a diver and submarine pilot aboard the Mana
  • Masi Oka as Toshi, a member of Lori’s crew

Production edit

Development edit

Disney's Hollywood Pictures initially acquired the rights to the novel in 1996.[6] Around that time, Tom Wheeler was hired to adapt the book into a screenplay, but, having decided that his script was not good enough, the studio hired Jeffrey Boam to write a new draft. Boam's script was later rejected for the same reason.[7] By 1999 the project had stalled, and the rights reverted to Steve Alten, the book's author.[6]

In 2005, reports surfaced that the project was being developed by New Line Cinema, with an estimated budget of $75 million and a slated release of summer 2006.[8] Names attached to the production included Jan de Bont as director, Guillermo del Toro as producer, and Shane Salerno as a screenwriter. However, New Line later canceled the project due to budgetary concerns.[8] The rights reverted to Alten again, but the film remained in development hell.

In 2015, it was announced that the film was now moving forward at Warner Bros., with a new script written by Dean Georgaris.[9] By June of that year, Eli Roth was reported to be in talks to direct,[10] but due to creative differences, Roth was replaced by Jon Turteltaub in early 2016.[11] Jason Statham and much of the cast joined in August and September 2016.[12]

The film is an American and Chinese co-production.[4] It was considered a full co-production under Chinese regulations, and it was not subject to the same quota system and revenue sharing agreements usually applied to imported films.[5]

Filming edit

Principal photography on the film began on October 13, 2016, in West Auckland, New Zealand.[13][14] Filming ended on January 4, 2017, in Sanya City of Hainan, China.[15]

Visual effects edit

Visual effects were done by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Image Engine, and Scanline VFX. The visual effects team was challenged with designing a previously undiscovered prehistoric giant shark and designing the underwater environments and atmospherics, including realistic coral reefs, bubbles, and other sea life.[16][17]

Music edit

Harry Gregson-Williams's score was recorded at Synchron Stage in Vienna, Austria.[18]

3D Conversion edit

The film was converted to 3D in post-production by Legend3D.

Release edit

Released by Gravity Pictures in China and Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States, the film was initially scheduled to be released on March 2, 2018.[19] Warner and Gravity then said that the film would be released during the 2018 Chinese New Year period in China, a week-long annual holiday on February 16, 2018. The film was later pushed back from its original release date of March 2, 2018, to August 10, 2018.[20] The studio spent $140 million on global prints and advertisements for the film.[21]

Home media edit

The Meg was released for digital download on October 30, 2018, and on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, and DVD on November 13.[22] As of August 2020, it is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom as well as Hulu in the United States as of May 2023.[23] It is also available on Amazon Prime in the United States.

Reception edit

Box office edit

The Meg grossed $145.4 million in the United States and Canada and $384.8 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $530.2 million, against a production budget between $130–178 million.[2] Deadline Hollywood reported the film needed to gross around $400 million in order to break-even.[21]

In the United States and Canada, it was initially projected to gross $20–22 million from 4,119 theaters in its opening weekend.[24] The film made $4 million from Thursday night previews, leading analysts to predict it would outperform its low $20 million projections. After making $16.5 million on its first day, weekend estimates were raised to $40 million.[21] It went on to debut at $45.4 million, topping the box office and marking the best solo opening of Statham's career, as well as Turteltaub's.[25] It made $21.5 million in its second weekend and $13 million in its third, finishing second behind Crazy Rich Asians both times.[26][27]

The film debuted to $101.5 million from 96 countries in other territories, for a worldwide opening of $146.9 million. In China, a co-producer of the film grossed $50.3 million from 12,650 screens and ranked 3 in the opening weekend. Other top openings were Mexico ($6.2 million), Russia ($5 million), the United Kingdom ($4.4 million), Spain ($2.4 million), and the Philippines ($2 million).[28]

Critical response edit

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 46% based on 307 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "The Meg sets audiences up for a good old-fashioned B-movie creature feature, but lacks the genre thrills—or the cheesy bite—to make it worth diving in."[29] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[30] Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it an average 3 out of 5 stars.[21]

Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave the film a mixed review, calling it "neither good enough—nor bad enough," and writing, "The Meg, a rote sci-fi horror adventure film that features a shark the size of a blue whale, comes on like it wants to be the mother of all deep-sea attack movies. But it's really just the mother of all generically pandering, totally unsurprising Jaws ripoffs."[31]

Scott Mendelson of Forbes was impressed by the film's special effects and called it "a polished B movie that delivers the goods."[32] At the same time, IGN's William Bibbiani praised the performances of the cast, particularly Statham.[33]

Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Simon Abrams said the film was "refreshingly unpretentious" and "a breath of fresh air" compared with the Sharknado series.[34]

Accolades edit

The Meg won Golden Fleece at the 2018 Golden Trailer Awards,[35][36] and received nominations for Best Home Ent Horror/Thriller and Best Billboard the following year.[37][38] It was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award in Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off, or Sequel (as a ripoff of Jaws).[39]

Sequel edit

Main article: Meg 2: The Trench

In April 2018, Jason Statham said a Meg sequel would happen if the film did well with the public saying, "I think it's like anything in this day and age—if it makes money, there's an appetite to make more money. And if it doesn't do well, they'll soon sweep it under the carpet. But that's the way Hollywood works."[40] That August, Steve Alten said, "My feeling has always been that this is a billion-dollar franchise if it was done right. But to be done right, you had to get the shark right, get the cast right, get the tone right. And Warner Bros. has nailed it completely. The producers have nailed it."[41]

In October 2018, executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying said a sequel was in the early stages of development.[42] In March 2019, a script for the film was in the works.[43] In his September 2020 newsletter, Steve Alten confirmed the script, titled Meg 2: The Trench, was complete, and expressed interest in its "dark" tone.[44] British director Ben Wheatley signed on to direct.[45] In April 2021, Statham said that he believed that filming would begin in January 2022.[46] Production officially began at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden in February 2022, with screenwriters Dean Georgaris, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber returning, and Statham and Li reprising their roles from the first film.[47] In March 2022, it was announced that the film will be released on August 4, 2023.[48]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b . British Board of Film Classification. July 5, 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-04-09. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "The Meg (2018)". Box Office Mojo. from the original on February 13, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  3. ^ "The Meg (2018) - Jon Turteltaub". AllMovie. from the original on 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  4. ^ a b Rebecca Sun (2018-10-31). "The Meg Producers on Keys to U.S.-China Co-Production Success: It Had to Be Culturally Sound". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 2021-04-30. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Patrick Frater (Aug 8, 2018). "'The Meg' Aims Big at China, but Will Audiences Bite?". Variety. from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Raftery, Brian (August 9, 2018). "The 20-Year Journey of 'The Meg'—the Movie the Internet Wouldn't Let Die". Wired. from the original on August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  7. ^ Turek, Ryan (July 12, 2007). "The Details of Meg's Demise". ComingSoon.net. Mandatory. from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Welkos, Robert W. (April 13, 2008). "Trapped down in the depths". Los Angeles Times. from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  9. ^ Allen, Clark (June 3, 2015). "Long-Awaited Giant Shark Thriller 'Meg' Swims To Warner Bros". The Tracking Board. from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  10. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 16, 2015). "Eli Roth to Direct Giant Shark Thriller 'Meg' for Warner Bros". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  11. ^ Chitwood, Adam (March 6, 2016). "Eli Roth Exits Giant Shark Movie 'Meg'". Collider. Complex Media. from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  12. ^ Foutch, Haleigh (April 14, 2016). "Jason Statham Is Going to Fight a Giant Dinosaur Shark in 'Meg'". Collider. Complex Media. from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  13. ^ Butler, Karen (October 15, 2016). "Jason Statham, Jon Turteltaub start shooting shark tale 'Meg' in New Zealand". United Press International. from the original on October 16, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  14. ^ Chitwood, Adam (October 13, 2016). "Meg: Filming Begins on Giant Shark Movie with Jason Statham". Collider. Complex Media. from the original on October 14, 2016. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  15. ^ "李冰冰杰森斯坦森联袂《巨齿鲨》杀青后期制作一年2018年上映". Mtime.com (in Chinese). January 13, 2018. from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  16. ^ Failes, Ian (September 11, 2018). "THE MEG: How Imageworks Helped Make a Massive Megalodon". VFX Voice. from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  17. ^ Hogg, Trevor (September 17, 2018). "Entrenched in the Deep, Dark Depths with THE MEG". VFX Voice. from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
  18. ^ "The Meg - SynchronStage Vienna". www.synchronstage.com. from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  19. ^ McNary, Dave (May 16, 2016). "Jason Statham's Shark Movie 'Meg' Gets 2018 Release Date". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  20. ^ McNary, Dave (March 2, 2017). "Jason Statham's Shark Thriller 'Meg' Swims Back Five Months". Variety. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  21. ^ a b c d D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 11, 2018). "'Meg's Opening Grows To $40M+…But Is It Big Enough? What The Shark Movie Means During Trump's Trade War With China". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  22. ^ "After Chomping Up Over $500 Million Worldwide, 'The Meg' Swims to Home Video in November". 2 October 2018. from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  23. ^ "Watch The Meg | Prime Video". Amazon.co.uk. from the original on 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
  24. ^ McClintock, Pamela (August 8, 2018). "Box-Office Preview: Big-Budget 'The Meg' Heads for Tepid $20M-Plus U.S. Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 12, 2018). "'August Audiences Get Hooked On 'Meg' Shelling Out $44.5M". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  26. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 19, 2018). "'Crazy Rich Asians' Even Richer On Saturday With $10M+; Weekend Bling Now At $25M+ With $34M 5-Day Debut". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  27. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 26, 2018). "'Why 'Happytime Murders' Reps A Solo Career B.O. Low For Melissa McCarthy In A 'Crazy Rich' Weekend – Update". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2018.
  28. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (August 12, 2018). "'The Meg' Devours $97M Overseas/$141M Global Opening; 'Fallout' Flies Past $400M WW – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  29. ^ "The Meg (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. from the original on 2018-08-16. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  30. ^ "The Meg Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  31. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (August 8, 2018). "Film Review: 'The Meg'". Variety. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  32. ^ Mendelson, Scott (August 9, 2018). "Review: Jason Statham's 'The Meg' Is So Much Better Than 'Sharknado'". Forbes. from the original on August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  33. ^ Bibbiani, William (August 9, 2018). "The Meg Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. from the original on August 9, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  34. ^ Abrams, Simon (August 13, 2018). "'The Meg' Feels Refreshingly Unpretentious". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  35. ^ Hipes, Patrick (May 9, 2018). "Golden Trailer Award Nominations: The Shape Of Water, Hitman's Bodyguard Top List". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  36. ^ McNary, Dave (May 31, 2018). "Black Panther Wins Top Prize at Golden Trailer Awards". Variety. from the original on June 1, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  37. ^ Welk, Brian (May 9, 2019). "A Star Is Born, Roma and Us Lead Golden Trailer Awards Nominations". TheWrap. from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  38. ^ Williams, Trey (May 29, 2019). "John Wick: Chapter 3 Wins Best in Show at 2019 Golden Trailer Awards". TheWrap. from the original on May 30, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2023.
  39. ^ 39th Razzie Nominations!. YouTube: Razzie Channel. Archived from the original on 2021-11-18.
  40. ^ Clark Collis (April 23, 2018). "Jason Statham says 'The Meg' will get a sequel if giant shark movie hooks public". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  41. ^ "Will there be a 'Meg 2'? Writer Steve Alten on the potential 'billion dollar franchise'". Metro. 13 August 2018. from the original on 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  42. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (2018-10-30). "'The Meg 2' In Very Early Stages: U.S.-China Entertainment Summit". Deadline. from the original on 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
  43. ^ Evans, Nick (18 March 2019). "What's Happening With Jason Statham's The Meg 2?". Cinemablend. from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  44. ^ "Steve Alten's September Newsletter". from the original on 2021-06-13. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  45. ^ Kit, Borys (October 23, 2020). "'The Meg 2' Finds Its Director With 'Rebecca' Filmmaker Ben Wheatley (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
  46. ^ Rafael Motamayor (April 28, 2021). "Jason Statham Says 'The Meg 2' Starts Filming Next Year, and He'll Be Back to Punch Another Shark in The Face". Collider. from the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  47. ^ Yossman, K.J. (February 4, 2022). "'The Meg' Sequel Dives Into Production". Variety. from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  48. ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 9, 2022). "Warner Bros Release Dates: 'The Flash' & 'Aquaman' Moved To 2023; 'Wonka', 'Shazam' Sequel & Others Shift". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.

External links edit

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to The Meg.

December 02, 2023
this, article, about, 2018, film, other, uses, disambiguation, 2018, science, fiction, action, film, directed, turteltaub, from, screenplay, dean, georgaris, hoeber, erich, hoeber, loosely, based, 1997, novel, novel, deep, terror, steve, alten, film, stars, ja. This article is about the 2018 film For other uses see Meg disambiguation The Meg is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber loosely based on the 1997 novel Meg A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten 3 1 The film stars Jason Statham Li Bingbing Rainn Wilson Ruby Rose Winston Chao and Cliff Curtis In the plot a group of scientists encounters a 75 foot long 23 m megalodon shark while on a rescue mission on the floor of the Pacific Ocean The MegTheatrical release posterDirected byJon TurteltaubScreenplay byDean Georgaris Jon Hoeber Erich HoeberBased onMeg A Novel of Deep Terrorby Steve AltenProduced byLorenzo di Bonaventura Belle Avery Colin WilsonStarringJason Statham Li Bingbing Rainn Wilson Ruby Rose Winston Chao Cliff CurtisCinematographyTom SternEdited bySteven Kemper Kelly MatsumotoMusic byHarry Gregson WilliamsProductioncompaniesGravity Pictures Di Bonaventura Pictures Apelles Entertainment Maeday Productions Flagship Entertainment GroupDistributed byWarner Bros PicturesRelease dateAugust 10 2018 2018 08 10 United States Running time113 minutes 1 CountriesChina United StatesLanguageEnglishBudget 130 millionBox office 530 2 million 2 Walt Disney Studios originally purchased the film rights to the novel in the 1990s but the film spent years in development hell The rights eventually landed at Warner Bros Pictures and the film was green lit in 2013 Turteltaub and much of the cast joined by September 2014 Principal photography began in October 2016 and lasted until January 2017 occurring in New Zealand and China 4 5 The Meg was released in the United States on August 10 2018 The film received mixed reviews from critics but was a box office success grossing over 530 million worldwide against a production budget of 130 million A sequel Meg 2 The Trench was released on August 2023 Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3 1 Development 3 2 Filming 3 3 Visual effects 3 4 Music 3 5 3D Conversion 4 Release 4 1 Home media 5 Reception 5 1 Box office 5 2 Critical response 5 3 Accolades 6 Sequel 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksPlot editJonas Taylor is a rescue diver who attempts to save the crew of a damaged nuclear submarine when he sees the hull being rammed by an unidentified creature Two of his crew are trapped in the damaged sub but Jonas is forced to flee realizing that attempting rescue would result in the deaths of everyone he has already saved Jonas account of the story is dismissed by fellow survivor Dr Heller who denounces his actions as the result of pressure induced psychosis Five years later billionaire Jack Morris meets Dr Minway Zhang at the underwater research facility Mana One Zhang and his oceanographer daughter Suyin supervise a mission to explore what turns out to be a deeper section of the Mariana Trench previously concealed by a thermocline of hydrogen sulfide The mission submersible is piloted by Japanese scientist Toshi an American scientist referred to as The Wall and Jonas ex wife Lori They discover an abundance of never before seen flora and fauna below the thermocline but an attack by a large unidentified creature causes the submersible to lose contact with Mana One Jonas old friend and Mana One operations manager James Mac Mackreides suggests sending Jonas down to attempt a rescue Despite the objections of Heller now a member of the Mana One crew Zhang and Mac venture to Thailand to recruit Jonas who is now a drunken loner Jonas is initially skeptical but relents after listening to a taped recording containing the dialogue between Lori her crew and Mana One Suyin attempts the rescue in their absence but is attacked by a giant squid Before the squid can crush her submersible it is killed by an enormous shark Having agreed to help Jonas breaches the thermocline and reaches the sunken submersible When the shark returns and attacks the submersible before the evacuation has been completed Toshi sacrifices himself to help the others escape Returning to Mana One the crew discovers the giant shark is a megalodon or Meg a prehistoric species of shark previously believed to be extinct While discussing how to address it Suyin s daughter Meiying encounters and narrowly avoids an attack from the shark outside Mana One s underwater tunnels The crew realizes that the Meg pursued them through a temporary break they caused in the thermocline and resolves to go out and track the Meg before killing it with poison After the Meg destroys three nearby shark fin fishing ships Jonas enters the water to shoot the Meg with a tracker and then the team puts Suyin in a shark proof tank so she can shoot the Meg with poison However the mission goes awry when the shark attacks the cage and cracks Suyin s mask causing her to lose oxygen She manages to poison the shark just as Jonas manages to get her out of the cage The Meg returns and attacks Jonas and Suyin but it gets snagged on the cage s line and dies from the poison But in their moment of triumph a second larger Meg revealed to be the individual that attacked the group earlier back at the trench emerges devouring The Wall and the dead Meg critically wounding Zhang and destroying the crew s ship Heller sacrifices himself by distracting the Meg to save fellow crew member Jaxx Mac swims out to a floating lifeboat so that he and the crew can regroup at Mana One though Zhang dies on the way The shark gives chase but it is deterred by a helicopter Morris called in Back at the station Morris claims that he has informed all the neighbouring governments about the Meg and that they have sent two destroyers to torpedo the shark while secretly enlisting a mercenary team to kill the shark with depth charges but they accidentally kill a whale Realizing the Meg is near the team speeds away but Morris falls overboard and is eaten The team soon learns of Morris deceit and resolves to kill the Meg themselves The Meg attacks a crowded beach in Sanya Bay in China and devours several beachgoers before the Mana One crew uses a whale call to divert its attention toward them Jonas and Suyin board submersibles and work together to kill the Meg but Suyin is forced to break off to save the others when a helicopter crashing into their ship forces them into the water Jonas takes on the Meg alone and despite his submarine taking damage he wounds the beast with his damaged submersible and stabs it in the eye spilling its blood and attracting a shiver of modern sharks that devour the dying Meg Jonas reunites with the rest of the Mana One crew on a passing wedding boat and considers taking a vacation with Suyin and Meiying Meanwhile in the water a passing Meg is heard suggesting that more than two escaped the trench Cast editJason Statham as Jonas Taylor a diver who specializes in deep sea search and rescue Li Bingbing as Suyin an oceanographer aboard the research vessel Mana Rainn Wilson as Morris a billionaire funding the Mana Cliff Curtis as Mac the managing researcher of the Mana Winston Chao as Zhang Suyin s father Meiying s grandfather Sophia Cai as Meiying Suyin s 8 year old daughter and Minway s granddaughter Ruby Rose as Jaxx an engineer aboard the Mana Page Kennedy as DJ another engineer Robert Taylor as Heller a medical doctor aboard the Mana olafur Darri olafsson as The Wall a member of Lori s crew Jessica McNamee as Lori a diver and submarine pilot aboard the Mana Masi Oka as Toshi a member of Lori s crewProduction editDevelopment edit Disney s Hollywood Pictures initially acquired the rights to the novel in 1996 6 Around that time Tom Wheeler was hired to adapt the book into a screenplay but having decided that his script was not good enough the studio hired Jeffrey Boam to write a new draft Boam s script was later rejected for the same reason 7 By 1999 the project had stalled and the rights reverted to Steve Alten the book s author 6 In 2005 reports surfaced that the project was being developed by New Line Cinema with an estimated budget of 75 million and a slated release of summer 2006 8 Names attached to the production included Jan de Bont as director Guillermo del Toro as producer and Shane Salerno as a screenwriter However New Line later canceled the project due to budgetary concerns 8 The rights reverted to Alten again but the film remained in development hell In 2015 it was announced that the film was now moving forward at Warner Bros with a new script written by Dean Georgaris 9 By June of that year Eli Roth was reported to be in talks to direct 10 but due to creative differences Roth was replaced by Jon Turteltaub in early 2016 11 Jason Statham and much of the cast joined in August and September 2016 12 The film is an American and Chinese co production 4 It was considered a full co production under Chinese regulations and it was not subject to the same quota system and revenue sharing agreements usually applied to imported films 5 Filming edit Principal photography on the film began on October 13 2016 in West Auckland New Zealand 13 14 Filming ended on January 4 2017 in Sanya City of Hainan China 15 Visual effects edit Visual effects were done by Sony Pictures Imageworks Image Engine and Scanline VFX The visual effects team was challenged with designing a previously undiscovered prehistoric giant shark and designing the underwater environments and atmospherics including realistic coral reefs bubbles and other sea life 16 17 Music edit Harry Gregson Williams s score was recorded at Synchron Stage in Vienna Austria 18 3D Conversion edit The film was converted to 3D in post production by Legend3D Release editReleased by Gravity Pictures in China and Warner Bros Pictures in the United States the film was initially scheduled to be released on March 2 2018 19 Warner and Gravity then said that the film would be released during the 2018 Chinese New Year period in China a week long annual holiday on February 16 2018 The film was later pushed back from its original release date of March 2 2018 to August 10 2018 20 The studio spent 140 million on global prints and advertisements for the film 21 Home media edit The Meg was released for digital download on October 30 2018 and on Ultra HD Blu ray Blu ray 3D Blu ray and DVD on November 13 22 As of August 2020 it is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom as well as Hulu in the United States as of May 2023 23 It is also available on Amazon Prime in the United States Reception editBox office edit The Meg grossed 145 4 million in the United States and Canada and 384 8 million in other territories for a total worldwide gross of 530 2 million against a production budget between 130 178 million 2 Deadline Hollywood reported the film needed to gross around 400 million in order to break even 21 In the United States and Canada it was initially projected to gross 20 22 million from 4 119 theaters in its opening weekend 24 The film made 4 million from Thursday night previews leading analysts to predict it would outperform its low 20 million projections After making 16 5 million on its first day weekend estimates were raised to 40 million 21 It went on to debut at 45 4 million topping the box office and marking the best solo opening of Statham s career as well as Turteltaub s 25 It made 21 5 million in its second weekend and 13 million in its third finishing second behind Crazy Rich Asians both times 26 27 The film debuted to 101 5 million from 96 countries in other territories for a worldwide opening of 146 9 million In China a co producer of the film grossed 50 3 million from 12 650 screens and ranked 3 in the opening weekend Other top openings were Mexico 6 2 million Russia 5 million the United Kingdom 4 4 million Spain 2 4 million and the Philippines 2 million 28 Critical response edit On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 46 based on 307 reviews with an average rating of 5 3 10 The site s critics consensus reads The Meg sets audiences up for a good old fashioned B movie creature feature but lacks the genre thrills or the cheesy bite to make it worth diving in 29 On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100 based on 46 critics indicating mixed or average reviews 30 Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of B on an A to F scale while those polled by PostTrak gave it an average 3 out of 5 stars 21 Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave the film a mixed review calling it neither good enough nor bad enough and writing The Meg a rote sci fi horror adventure film that features a shark the size of a blue whale comes on like it wants to be the mother of all deep sea attack movies But it s really just the mother of all generically pandering totally unsurprising Jaws ripoffs 31 Scott Mendelson of Forbes was impressed by the film s special effects and called it a polished B movie that delivers the goods 32 At the same time IGN s William Bibbiani praised the performances of the cast particularly Statham 33 Writing for The Hollywood Reporter Simon Abrams said the film was refreshingly unpretentious and a breath of fresh air compared with the Sharknado series 34 Accolades edit The Meg won Golden Fleece at the 2018 Golden Trailer Awards 35 36 and received nominations for Best Home Ent Horror Thriller and Best Billboard the following year 37 38 It was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award in Worst Prequel Remake Rip off or Sequel as a ripoff of Jaws 39 Sequel editMain article Meg 2 The Trench In April 2018 Jason Statham said a Meg sequel would happen if the film did well with the public saying I think it s like anything in this day and age if it makes money there s an appetite to make more money And if it doesn t do well they ll soon sweep it under the carpet But that s the way Hollywood works 40 That August Steve Alten said My feeling has always been that this is a billion dollar franchise if it was done right But to be done right you had to get the shark right get the cast right get the tone right And Warner Bros has nailed it completely The producers have nailed it 41 In October 2018 executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying said a sequel was in the early stages of development 42 In March 2019 a script for the film was in the works 43 In his September 2020 newsletter Steve Alten confirmed the script titled Meg 2 The Trench was complete and expressed interest in its dark tone 44 British director Ben Wheatley signed on to direct 45 In April 2021 Statham said that he believed that filming would begin in January 2022 46 Production officially began at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden in February 2022 with screenwriters Dean Georgaris Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber returning and Statham and Li reprising their roles from the first film 47 In March 2022 it was announced that the film will be released on August 4 2023 48 See also editJaws Deep Blue Sea Mega Shark List of natural horror films List of underwater science fiction worksReferences edit a b THE MEG 12A British Board of Film Classification July 5 2018 Archived from the original on 2019 04 09 Retrieved April 1 2021 a b The Meg 2018 Box Office Mojo Archived from the original on February 13 2016 Retrieved December 22 2017 The Meg 2018 Jon Turteltaub AllMovie Archived from the original on 2019 11 20 Retrieved 2018 04 11 a b Rebecca Sun 2018 10 31 The Meg Producers on Keys to U S China Co Production Success It Had to Be Culturally Sound The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 2021 04 30 Retrieved May 1 2021 a b Patrick Frater Aug 8 2018 The Meg Aims Big at China but Will Audiences Bite Variety Archived from the original on April 30 2021 Retrieved May 1 2021 a b Raftery Brian August 9 2018 The 20 Year Journey of The Meg the Movie the Internet Wouldn t Let Die Wired Archived from the original on August 18 2018 Retrieved August 20 2018 Turek Ryan July 12 2007 The Details of Meg s Demise ComingSoon net Mandatory Archived from the original on August 14 2018 Retrieved August 20 2018 a b Welkos Robert W April 13 2008 Trapped down in the depths Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on April 18 2021 Retrieved April 20 2021 Allen Clark June 3 2015 Long Awaited Giant Shark Thriller Meg Swims To Warner Bros The Tracking Board Archived from the original on August 12 2017 Retrieved September 17 2017 Kroll Justin June 16 2015 Eli Roth to Direct Giant Shark Thriller Meg for Warner Bros Variety Retrieved September 17 2017 Chitwood Adam March 6 2016 Eli Roth Exits Giant Shark Movie Meg Collider Complex Media Archived from the original on August 10 2018 Retrieved August 10 2018 Foutch Haleigh April 14 2016 Jason Statham Is Going to Fight a Giant Dinosaur Shark in Meg Collider Complex Media Archived from the original on August 23 2018 Retrieved August 20 2018 Butler Karen October 15 2016 Jason Statham Jon Turteltaub start shooting shark tale Meg in New Zealand United Press International Archived from the original on October 16 2016 Retrieved September 17 2017 Chitwood Adam October 13 2016 Meg Filming Begins on Giant Shark Movie with Jason Statham Collider Complex Media Archived from the original on October 14 2016 Retrieved September 17 2017 李冰冰杰森斯坦森联袂 巨齿鲨 杀青后期制作一年2018年上映 Mtime com in Chinese January 13 2018 Archived from the original on January 6 2017 Retrieved August 13 2018 Failes Ian September 11 2018 THE MEG How Imageworks Helped Make a Massive Megalodon VFX Voice Archived from the original on September 11 2018 Retrieved September 11 2018 Hogg Trevor September 17 2018 Entrenched in the Deep Dark Depths with THE MEG VFX Voice Archived from the original on September 22 2018 Retrieved September 21 2018 The Meg SynchronStage Vienna www synchronstage com Archived from the original on 2023 02 08 Retrieved 2023 02 08 McNary Dave May 16 2016 Jason Statham s Shark Movie Meg Gets 2018 Release Date Variety Retrieved September 17 2017 McNary Dave March 2 2017 Jason Statham s Shark Thriller Meg Swims Back Five Months Variety Retrieved September 17 2017 a b c d D Alessandro Anthony August 11 2018 Meg s Opening Grows To 40M But Is It Big Enough What The Shark Movie Means During Trump s Trade War With China Deadline Hollywood Penske Business Media Archived from the original on August 10 2018 Retrieved August 11 2018 After Chomping Up Over 500 Million Worldwide The Meg Swims to Home Video in November 2 October 2018 Archived from the original on 3 October 2018 Retrieved October 3 2018 Watch The Meg Prime Video Amazon co uk Archived from the original on 2020 12 20 Retrieved 2021 04 16 McClintock Pamela August 8 2018 Box Office Preview Big Budget The Meg Heads for Tepid 20M Plus U S Debut The Hollywood Reporter Prometheus Global Media Retrieved August 8 2018 D Alessandro Anthony August 12 2018 August Audiences Get Hooked On Meg Shelling Out 44 5M Deadline Hollywood Penske Business Media Archived from the original on November 16 2018 Retrieved August 12 2018 D Alessandro Anthony August 19 2018 Crazy Rich Asians Even Richer On Saturday With 10M Weekend Bling Now At 25M With 34M 5 Day Debut Deadline Hollywood Penske Business Media Archived from the original on August 16 2018 Retrieved August 19 2018 D Alessandro Anthony August 26 2018 Why Happytime Murders Reps A Solo Career B O Low For Melissa McCarthy In A Crazy Rich Weekend Update Deadline Hollywood Penske Business Media Archived from the original on May 16 2019 Retrieved August 26 2018 Tartaglione Nancy August 12 2018 The Meg Devours 97M Overseas 141M Global Opening Fallout Flies Past 400M WW International Box Office Deadline Hollywood Penske Business Media Archived from the original on November 19 2018 Retrieved August 12 2018 The Meg 2018 Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Archived from the original on 2018 08 16 Retrieved October 10 2021 The Meg Reviews Metacritic Archived from the original on October 28 2020 Retrieved June 10 2020 Gleiberman Owen August 8 2018 Film Review The Meg Variety Retrieved August 9 2018 Mendelson Scott August 9 2018 Review Jason Statham s The Meg Is So Much Better Than Sharknado Forbes Archived from the original on August 9 2018 Retrieved August 9 2018 Bibbiani William August 9 2018 The Meg Review IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on August 9 2023 Retrieved August 10 2018 Abrams Simon August 13 2018 The Meg Feels Refreshingly Unpretentious The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved August 16 2018 Hipes Patrick May 9 2018 Golden Trailer Award Nominations The Shape Of Water Hitman s Bodyguard Top List Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 28 2022 Retrieved June 20 2023 McNary Dave May 31 2018 Black Panther Wins Top Prize at Golden Trailer Awards Variety Archived from the original on June 1 2018 Retrieved June 20 2023 Welk Brian May 9 2019 A Star Is Born Roma and Us Lead Golden Trailer Awards Nominations TheWrap Archived from the original on May 9 2019 Retrieved June 20 2023 Williams Trey May 29 2019 John Wick Chapter 3 Wins Best in Show at 2019 Golden Trailer Awards TheWrap Archived from the original on May 30 2019 Retrieved June 20 2023 39th Razzie Nominations YouTube Razzie Channel Archived from the original on 2021 11 18 Clark Collis April 23 2018 Jason Statham says The Meg will get a sequel if giant shark movie hooks public Entertainment Weekly Retrieved 2019 05 02 Will there be a Meg 2 Writer Steve Alten on the potential billion dollar franchise Metro 13 August 2018 Archived from the original on 2019 04 03 Retrieved 2019 05 02 D Alessandro Anthony 2018 10 30 The Meg 2 In Very Early Stages U S China Entertainment Summit Deadline Archived from the original on 2021 02 22 Retrieved 2019 05 02 Evans Nick 18 March 2019 What s Happening With Jason Statham s The Meg 2 Cinemablend Archived from the original on March 31 2019 Retrieved November 2 2019 Steve Alten s September Newsletter Archived from the original on 2021 06 13 Retrieved 2021 06 13 Kit Borys October 23 2020 The Meg 2 Finds Its Director With Rebecca Filmmaker Ben Wheatley Exclusive The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on November 28 2020 Retrieved October 23 2020 Rafael Motamayor April 28 2021 Jason Statham Says The Meg 2 Starts Filming Next Year and He ll Be Back to Punch Another Shark in The Face Collider Archived from the original on May 14 2021 Retrieved May 1 2021 Yossman K J February 4 2022 The Meg Sequel Dives Into Production Variety Archived from the original on February 4 2022 Retrieved February 5 2022 Pedersen Erik March 9 2022 Warner Bros Release Dates The Flash amp Aquaman Moved To 2023 Wonka Shazam Sequel amp Others Shift Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on March 9 2022 Retrieved March 9 2022 External links edit nbsp Wikiquote has quotations related to The Meg Official website The Meg at IMDb nbsp The Meg at Rotten Tomatoes nbsp The Meg at Metacritic nbsp Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Meg amp oldid 1182585744, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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