Action movie iconJason Stathamhas faced off with all manner of foes throughout his tenure as the go-to action hero, but nothing could have prepared him forThe Meg. Not even punching The Rock and Vin Diesel. However, while The Stath may struggle more than usual, the franchise hasn’t, with bothThe Megand its sequel,Meg 2: The Trench, making almost $1 billion at the box office. And now, Statham fans can witness him take on the titular prehistoric predator for free.
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 as potential chum when a75-foot-long megalodon escapesfrom the depths of the Mariana Trench and begins to wreak havoc.
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Leaving the guns and fists behind in favor of the breaststroke,The Megfinds Statham in a slightly different role than usual as a surprisingly cynical, yet still heroic, rescue diver. While the monster movie was met with seriously mixed reviews upon release, as proven by the 47% from critics and 44% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes,it was a box office behemoth, grossing $530 million worldwide.
While Reactions to ‘The Meg’ Were Mixed, Audiences Loved the Sequel
With such success followed a sequel, 2023’sMeg 2: The Trench. Much like its predecessor,Meg 2once again finds Jason Statham and global action icon Wu Jing as theyjoin forces to stop the onslaughtof “colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a pulse-pounding race against time,” the official synopsis reads.
However, unlike its predecessor,Meg 2: The Trenchdid not find critics and audiences in agreement but rather split, with the former rating the follow-up a far worse 27% on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences loved the creature feature thrills, rating it a far more impressive 72% on the Popcornmeter. BothThe MegandMeg 2: The Trenchare now streaming for free onTubi, meaning action fans can load up the perfect Statham double-bill without spending a dime.
As well as the vastly improved reaction from audiences,Meg 2: The Trenchalso saw colossal success at the box office, grossing $397.8 million worldwide and thus makingThe Mega $927 million franchise. While the two movies in the series so far (there are six novels from which future installments can draw inspiration) have made almost $1 billion,The Meg 3has yet to be announced. Any updates regarding the potential development of a threequel have been scarce, butMeg 2: The TrenchdirectorBen Wheatley hopes to return for more. “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,” he said at the time.
