Jason Stathamhas long established himself as one of the greatest action stars in Hollywood history, and he’s done so by taking on all manner of foes, even giant sharks. In 2018, Statham starred alongsideRainn Wilson(The Office) andCliff CurtisinThe Meg, the kaiju thriller following a crew who ventures to the bottom of the ocean on a rescue mission, only to find themselves in danger thanks to a massive prehistoric shark.The Megis not currently streaming anywhere, butHBO Max has announced that it will begin streaming on the platform at the start of next month, on July 1. The film grossed a whopping $527 million at the box office, turning a profit of its $130 million budget despite“rotten”scores of 44% from critics and 47% from audiences onRotten Tomatoes.
During a2018 interview with Collider, Statham described the final cut ofThe Megas“radically different”than what he first signed on for. He spoke about how much the film changed not only when he arrived on set, but also after he was filming, withThe Meghaving a much longer time between wrap and premiere than he’s used to. This leaves time for more editing tricks and changes. Still, the movie found its footing and did well enough to earn a sequel,Meg 2: The Trench, which Statham returned for to reprise his role as Jonas Taylor. The sequel was even more poorly received by critics but well-liked by audiences, and although it still wrangled $397 million at the global box office, this was over$100 million short of the originalon the same budget.
Will There Be a Third ‘Meg’ Movie?
A thirdMegmovie has not yet been announced, but considering the two films have collectively grossed over $800 million at the box office and both have been financial hits, it would not be surprising to seeWarner Bros. attempt to return toThe Megwell one more time. However, the key to making anotherMegmovie that hits at the box office is Jason Statham — if the Stath doesn’t return forThe Meg 3, profits will likely sink unless a major star replaces him. Still, no one can play Jonas Taylor or any other shark-hunting adventurer quite like Jason Statham.
The Megis coming toHBO Maxon July 1. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Statham’s future projects.
A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has ever existed - the Megalodon.
