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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...

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.

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,...

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...

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....

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 ...

Female-centric reboots are all the rage in Hollywood right now and it looks like we’ve got another one coming. According to That Hashtag Show, Stx Studios is reportedly in early development on a female reboot of the Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker action film franchise Rush Hour.

While there aren’t a lot of details on the project, the site reports that The Meg star Bingbing Li has been offered one of the two lead roles. She will take on the Jackie Chan role.

There was supposed to be a Rush Hour 4 film in development, but I imagine that all fell apart after the sexual misconduct allegations surfaced about franchise director Brett Ratner. However, Chris Tucker did offer an update on the sequel, saying:

“We’re working on a few things on the script right now, so we’re trying to get into production, but we’re working...

Are these Asians "Crazy Rich" or are they "Crazy" and "Rich"? Find out as The Casual Cinecast reviews this new Romantic Comedy on their latest episode! 

Okay folks! You know the drill, every week The Casual Cinecast starts by talking about what films and television they've been watching. Justin started the newest Netflix true crime docuseries The Staircase. Mike watched the 2017 film from Atsuko Hirayanagi starring Shinobu Terajima and Josh Hartnett, Oh Lucy! Plus both Mike and Chris watched the new shark action film The Meg, starring Jason Statham, Bingbing Li and Rainn Wilson, directed by Jon Turtletaub! Chris wraps up our What's On Our Mind section by talking about the new Matt Groening Netflix animated series, Disenchantment! 

Then Mike, Chris and Justin move into their featured review of Crazy Rich Asians, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yoeh, Awkwafina and many, many more!

Chinese actress Bingbing Li is kick ass alongside Jason Statham in The Meg. It's not Statham who gets in a shark cage to spear the 75-foot long prehistoric megaladon, but Li. She saves the day as much as Statham in the new movie. The actress has appeared in other Hollywood action movies such as Resident Evil and Transformers: Age Of Extinction, but in The Meg, she's just as fearless as Statham. CineMovie sat down with her in Los Angeles to talk about her starring role and her stunts in the movie.

Stars: Jason Statham, Ruby Rose, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis, Winston Chao, Shuya Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Robert Taylor | Written by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber | Directed by Jon Turteltaub

The Meg may seem like a film you would watch late at night on a basic cable channel but the $150 million dollar budget says otherwise. The film, based on the popular book Meg, is Jaws on steroids with more humor and in this insistence, that is a good thing. The plot? Well, it’s marine biologists and Jason Statham trying to stop a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark known as the Megalodon, i.e. the Meg, from eating people. That about sums up the film.

Oh, you want the longer form of the plot? Jonas Taylor (Statham) is an expert sea diver and Naval Captain who aborted his mission and half his crew when he encountered the Meg several years ago. No...

“Jason Statham fights a shark.” Say the phrase aloud, let the words swirl around in your mouth like a fine wine. Better yet, let’s up the ante a bit: “Jason Statham, he of The Transporter and Crank movies, fights a giant, toothy, prehistoric shark.” There is so much promise in that sentence, so many wonderful expectations inherent in that high-concept idea. You think of the British action-movie star, a bruiser whose muscles have muscles and who resembles nothing so much as a bullet with stubble, and worry that the...

Sneak Peek more new international poster images, plus footage, from director Jon Turtletaub's science fiction horror feature "The Meg", based on the 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten, starring Jason Statham, Jessica McNamee, Bingbing Li, Winston Chao, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis and Robert Taylor, opening in Real D 3D and IMAX 3D August 10, 2018:

"...a deep sea submarine is attacked by a 'carcharodon megalodon' shark, thought to be extinct. 

"With the ship disabled at the bottom of the sea, a rescue diver and oceanographer...

"...must quickly work to rescue the crew under attack from the 70-foot white shark..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Meg"...

As with many broad action-driven films these days, how “The Meg” performs in China could determine the financial fate of the $150 million picture. With its China-friendly storyline and cast, the giant-shark thriller would seem to have a head start – but look no further than “Skyscraper” for proof that such components are no guarantee audiences will bite.

“The Meg” releases Friday in China, more or less day-and-date with its outings in North America and other parts of Asia. It’s expected to start off with 15,000 to 20,000 screens in the Middle Kingdom – about 35% of available theaters – and have close to 100,000 screenings per day, including IMAX screenings.

But the pressure will be on for the film to deliver quickly. If it doesn’t, exhibitors are likely to switch over to other titles, such as next week’s Hong Kong-made actioner “Europe Raiders.”

“The Meg” premiered in China last week at the Water Cube,...

DaniElle DeLaite interviews new Batwoman Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Bingbing Li and director Jon Turteltaub for Jason Statham’s new monster shark movie The Meg, which features the biggest movie shark ever (yes – even bigger than Jaws 19).

The movie stars Fast and Furious man Jason Statham, The Office’s Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Bingbing Li, Jessica McNamee, Robert Taylor, Page Kennedy, Heroes’ Masi Oka and more. It was directed by National Treasure man Jon Turterltaub.

The Meg is released in the UK on the 10th of August, here’s the interview.

The Meg Cast Interviews

Five years ago, expert sea diver and Naval Captain Jonas Taylor encountered an unknown danger in the unexplored recesses of the Mariana Trench that forced him to abort his mission and abandon half his crew. Though the tragic incident earned him a dishonorable discharge, what ultimately cost him his career, his marriage and any...

Sneak Peek more new footage, plus images from director Jon Turtletaub's science fiction horror feature "The Meg", based on the 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten, starring Jason Statham, Jessica McNamee, Bingbing Li, Winston Chao, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis and Robert Taylor, opening in Real D 3D and IMAX 3D August 10, 2018:

"...a deep sea submarine is attacked by a 'carcharodon megalodon' shark, thought to be extinct. 

"With the ship disabled at the bottom of the sea, a rescue diver and oceanographer...

"...must quickly work to rescue the crew under attack from the 70-foot white shark..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Meg"...

Sneak Peek more new footage, plus images from director Jon Turtletaub's science fiction horror feature "The Meg", based on the 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten, starring Jason Statham, Jessica McNamee, Bingbing Li, Winston Chao, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis and Robert Taylor, opening in Real D 3D and IMAX 3D August 1, 2018:

"...a deep sea submarine is attacked by a 'carcharodon megalodon' shark, thought to be extinct. 

"With the ship disabled at the bottom of the sea, a rescue diver and oceanographer...

"...must quickly work to rescue the crew under attack from the 70-foot white shark..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Meg"...

Stars: Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz, Wu Chun, Kelsey Grammer, Stef Dawson, Shane Jacobson, Jason Chong, Eva Liu | Written by Kimble Rendall, Gary Hamilton, Jonathan Scanlon, Paul Staheli | Directed by Kimble Rendall

After her brother Luke (Chun) disappears on an expedition, scientist Jia (Li) goes in search of him with the aid of CEO Mason Kitteridge (Grammer) and paramedic Ridley (Lutz). Their quest leads them to an underground tomb, which houses an ancient Chinese emperor from 200 BC, and sees them battling hordes of giant spiders as they endeavour to find Luke and make it out of the deadly tomb alive.

After debuting in China cinemas at the beginning of the year, scoring $6 million on its opening weekend, this Chinese-Australian co-production goes direct to DVD in the UK, placing it alongside its China-financed brethren such as Lost in the Pacific and Skiptrace, whereas you can clearly tell the filmmakers were looking for...

Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from director Jon Turtletaub's science fiction horror feature "The Meg", based on the 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten, starring Jason Statham, Jessica McNamee, Bingbing Li, Winston Chao, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis and Robert Taylor, opening in Real D 3D and IMAX 3D August 1, 2018:

"...a deep sea submarine is attacked by a 'carcharodon megalodon' shark, thought to be extinct. 

"With the ship disabled at the bottom of the sea, a rescue diver and oceanographer...

"...must quickly work to rescue the crew under attack from the 70-foot white shark..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Meg"...

The Meg Trailer

John Turteltaub‘s The Meg (2018) movie trailer stars Cliff Curtis, Ruby Rose, Bingbing Li, Rainn Wilson, and Winston Chao. The Meg‘s plot synopsis: “In the film, a deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the [...]

Continue reading: The Meg (2018) Movie Trailer: Jason Statham’s Jaws film with Cliff Curtis & Bingbing Li has Arrived

The post The Meg (2018) Movie Trailer: Jason Statham’s Jaws film with Cliff Curtis & Bingbing Li has Arrived appeared first on FilmBook.

Tagline: "Pleased To Eat You." The Meg is a horror feature about the Megalodon. This prehistoric monster roamed seas millions of years ago. It reached lengths of 60 to 70 feet. In The Meg, an underwater research crew is trapped at the bottom of an undersea trench as a Megalodon swims above. This picture, which was co-produced by at least one Chinese company, stars: Bingbing Li (Resident Evil: Retribution), Jason Statham (Crank), Jessica NcNamee and Ruby Rose. The film's first trailer is available here! The story of The Meg was developed from Steve Alten's story, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. In the novel, an international observation platform is attacked by a massive creature - the Megalodon! The crew must work together to extract themselves from the ocean floor as ocean pressure builds up and this unstoppable shark looks for its next meal. The Meg has been rated PG-13, for bloody images.

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Every Day [IMDb]

Angourie Rice stars as a teenager who falls in love with a soul that inhabits a different body every day (and some of those bodies are female, too). (male writer and director)

Annihilation [IMDb] pictured

Natalie Portman stars as a scientist on an expedition to a mysterious realm. Costarring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, and Tuva Novotny. (male writer-director)

Game Night [IMDb]

Rachel McAdams costars as one half of a game-nerd couple whose party goes awry. With Sharon Horgan and Kylie Bunbury in major supporting roles. (male writers and director)

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Half Magic [IMDb]

Heather Graham writes, directs, and stars in a comedy about three women taking control of their romantic lives. Costarring Stephanie Beatriz and Angela Kinsey.

Days of Power [IMDb]

Jenny Hutton costars as a musician who gets caught up, along with her band, in an underground industry. Written by Michel Grey. (male director)

Curvature [IMDb]

Lyndsy Fonseca...

Kimble Rendall's action flick 7 Guardians of the Tomb will come out in cinemas and on VOD and Digital HD on February 23rd. 7 Guardians stars Kelsey Grammer, Kellan Lutz of Twilight fame and Chinese star Bingbing Li. Screen Anarchy has been given an exclusive clip to share with you which you can watch below.  An innocent discovery of a well-preserved mummified Emperor from 200 BC China unearths a 2000-year-old nightmare - a secret that should have remained buried. A team of scientists lose a colleague in an ancient labyrinth. The motley crew must work together to recover him while trying to make the discovery of a century. In their quest they find themselves underground, battling ancient, terrifying Chinese magic and making their way through...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Sneak Peek new images from director Jon Turtletaub's science fiction horror feature "The Meg", based on the 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten, starring Jason Statham, Jessica McNamee, Bingbing Li, Winston Chao, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Cliff Curtis and Robert Taylor opening in Real D 3D and IMAX 3D August 1, 2018:

"...a deep sea submarine is attacked by a 'carcharodon megalodon' shark, thought to be extinct. 

"With the ship disabled at the bottom of the sea, a rescue diver and oceanographer must quickly work to rescue the crew under attack from the 70-foot white shark..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Warner Bros. Pictures has retitled Jon Turteltaub‘s (National Treasure) prehistoric shark thriller Meg to The Meg, Bloody Disgusting learned. Starring are Jason Statham (Spy, Furious 7, The Expendables films) and award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Forbidden Kingdom, The Message). “A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled […]...

Successful applicants will be invited to participate in a script development lab.

Arclight Films has launched a development initiative, Chinalight, designed to support official Australian-Chinese co-productions.

The new initiative, which started taking submissions today (August 2), is supported by Screen Australia’s Enterprise program. It is seeking proposals from Australian talent – including writers, producers and directors – for feature film projects that can qualify as official co-productions.

Successful applicants will be invited to take part in a script development lab, where they will receive input from Chinese and Australian production partners on how to produce movies with international appeal.

Arclight managing director Gary Hamilton said: “Chinese studios have never been more willing to engage with the West both creatively and commercially, and Australia’s entertainment industry stands to reap huge gains, spearheading a new era of storytelling for global audiences.”

Hamilton, Ying Ye and Mark Lazarus recently produced Sino-Australian co-production Guardians Of The Tomb [pictured], starring Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz and [link...

Jaws © 1975 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

“Boys, oh boys… I think he’s come back for his noon feeding.” – Matt Hooper

On June 20, 1975 a thriller from a relatively unknown filmmaker was unleashed on unsuspecting theatre goers. That summer saw the birth of the blockbuster, the likes of which had never been seen before in cinemas.

Shark films are seemingly all the rage now. Last year was The Shallows, 1999 was the super fun Deep Blue Sea, this past weekend was the release of 47 Meters Down and in 2018 comes the intriguing Meg from Warner Bros. Pictures.

The science fiction action thriller Meg, directed by Jon Turteltaub, stars Jason Statham (“Spy,” “Furious 7,” “The Expendables” films) and Chinese actress Li Bingbing and is slated for release on March 2, 2018.

A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies...

James Cameron is executive producing a documentary about vegan diets called “The Game Changers,” the director Louis Psihoyos recently told Boulder Magazine. A former National Geographic photographer, Psihoyos received widespread acclaim for directing “The Cove,” a controversial exposé on dolphin fishing practices in Japan which won the Academy Award for best documentary feature in 2010.

Read More: Arnold Schwarzenegger Starring in New ‘Terminator’ Film Produced by James Cameron

Mixed martial arts champion James “Lightning” Wilks originally brought the project to Psihoyos, who then approached Cameron. “Cameron went to the deepest part of the ocean last year or the year before,” said Psihoyos. “Obviously he’s a big ocean lover and we have that in common. We met with him to get him on to this project. He is just so passionate about it.”

A pescatarian since 1986, Psihoyos stopped eating fish after getting mercury poisoning. He says a plant-based diet is the...

Australia-China co-pro 'Guardians of the Tomb' (formerly 'Nest') stars Chinese mega-star Li Bingbing..

The official co-production treaty between China and Australia entered into force in 2008. Since then, despite growing interest in working with the burgeoning film power, only a handful of official co-productions have been made. They include The Dragon Pearl, 33 Postcards.and The Children of the Silk Road (made under a Mou prior to the signing of the treaty)..

However in the past 18 months, things have started to shift. The biggest co-pro to date, Kimble Rendall.s Guardians of the Tomb (formerly Nest), shot on the Gold Coast early last year, and gangster film Dog Fight shot in Victoria last September. Both films are now in post..

Two other projects, Pauline Chan.s My Extraordinary Wedding and Nadia Tass and David Parker.s Tying the Knot,.have been issued provisional approval but are yet to enter production.

China’s Monumental Films will produce with Australia’s Roadman Films and Story Bridge Films.

Screen Australia announced the eighth official China-Australia co-production, At Last, to be written and directed by Yiwei Liu at the on-going Beijing International Film Festival (April 16-23).

The project will be produced by China’s Monumental Films with Australian production outfits Roadman Films and Story Bridge Films.

The story follows a couple from Beijing who find themselves caught in a complex art heist while on holiday in Australia. Jackie Jiao, Todd Fellman, Charles Fan and Vanessa Wu will produce.

Casting is currently underway on the project with production expected to commence in Australia from mid-July. Financiers on the film include Orient Image Entertainment, Gravity Films, Shineland Media, China Lion and Screen Queensland.

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira said At Last would shoot in Queensland [pictured], providing around 200 jobs and injecting $10.8m into the local economy.

“At Last has come to Queensland as a direct...

Sydney Films is building a slate of 20 China-Australia co-pros.

Screen Australia and private production outfit Sydney Films announced a slew of China-Australian co-production projects at the on-going Beijing International Film Festival (April 16-23).

Described as the eighth official China-Australia co-production, At Last will be directed by Yiwei Liu and produced by China’s Monumental Films with Australian production outfits Roadman Films and Story Bridge Films.

The film tells the story of a couple from Beijing who find themselves caught in a complex art heist while on holiday in Australia. Jackie Jiao, Todd Fellman, Charles Fan and Vanessa Wu will produce.

Casting is currently underway on the project with production expected to commence in Australia from mid-July. Financiers on the film include Orient Image Entertainment, Gravity Films, Shineland Media, China Lion and Screen Queensland.

Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira said At Last would shoot in Queensland, providing around 200 jobs and injecting $10.8m into the local economy.

“At Last has...

Jason Statham is one of those actors that film fans have grown to appreciate over the years. The man’s an action star almost in the vein of Stallone and Schwarzenegger, but he never seems to get caught in the trap of taking himself too seriously (If you haven’t yet, you need to check out his hilarious performance in Spy). He knows what audiences want to see out of him, and he embraces it wholeheartedly.

If you need any more evidence backing up that statement, then you need look no further than one of his upcoming films, Meg. The movie is set to be directed by Jon Turtletaub (National Treasure, and more importantly, 3 Ninjas), and is based on a Steve Alten novel of the same name.

Speaking with Jim Norton and Sam Roberts on the Jim & Sam Show, Statham gave some brief insight into the flick:

“I just did a movie about a shark.

It would turn out that Enthiran wouldn’t be the only Indian film that Yuen Woo Ping would work on. He would go on to create the fight scenes for the romantic thriller I (2014). Although it does have some well directed fight scenes throughout the film, its excessive length and overstretched plot don’t do the film any favours, making viewing of I a decidedly mixed bag. It also pales in comparison to his work on the previous year’s Man of Tai Chi. In some cases, there are a number of films that have fleeting appearances from Hong Kong stars, like Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014). Although Li Bingbing plays a main role in the film as Stanley Tucci’s assistant, there is blink and you will...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

It's capable of bringing down a T-Rex in prehistoric times, so just imagine the meal it could have with a modern-day menu. The massive Megalodon shark from Steve Alten's 1997 novel, Meg, will finally come to life on film via Warner Bros., but viewers now have a bit longer of a wait to see the ultimate apex predator make its splash on the big screen.

Multiple sources, including Variety, report that Meg will now be released in theaters (in 3D and IMAX) on August 10th, 2018, moving it several months from its previous March 2nd slot.

Directed by Jon Turteltaub (Last Vegas, National Treasure) and featuring a cast that includes Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, and Ruby Rose, filming on Meg began last October in New Zealand, with shooting on the project also being done in China.

Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates, check out the...