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Previously thought to be extinct, a massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific. With time running out, a visionary oceanographer recruits rescue diver Jonas Taylor to save the crew and the sea itself from an unimaginable threat -- a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark known as the Megalodon.

The Meg is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Jon Turteltaub from a screenplay by Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber and Erich Hoeber. It is loosely based on the 1997 novel MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten. The film stars Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Winston Chao, and Cliff Curtis. In the plot, a group of scientists encounter a 75-foot-long megalodon shark during a deep-sea rescue mission at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Walt Disney Studios originally purchased the film rights to the novel in the late 1990s, but spent years in development hell. The rights eventually landed in the hands of Warner Bros. Pictures, and the film was green-lit in 2013. Turteltaub and much of the cast joined by September 2014, and filming began in New Zealand and Sanya, China, ending in January 2017.

The Meg was released in the United States on August 10, 2018. It was a box office success, grossing $530 million worldwide, and received mixed reviews from critics. A sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, was released on August 4, 2023.

Plot[]

After escaping an attack; by what he claims was a 70-foot shark, Jonas Taylor must confront his fears to save those trapped in a sunken submersible.[1]


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Cast[]

Development[]

A film based on the novel has been mired in development hell for nearly two decades. Disney's Hollywood Pictures initially acquired the rights to the novel in 1996. 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. By 1999, the project had stalled, and the rights reverted to Steve Alten, the book's author.

After six years, reports surfaced that the film was slated for a 2008 release date and was to be made by New Line Cinema, which had recently bought the rights from Alten. Names that were attached to the project included Jan De Bont as director, Guillermo Del Toro as producer, and Shane Salerno as screenwriter. However, in July 2007, New Line cancelled the project due to budgetary concerns. Steve Alten had said that once his relationship with New Line was finally over, he would be taking the property elsewhere. By 2009, production began under producer Belle Avery, through her Apelles Entertainment banner, with Alten writing the screenplay.

In 2015, it was announced that the film was now moving forward at Warner Bros. Pictures, with a new script written by Dean Georgaris. The company hired Eli Roth to direct the adaptation of the novel, but due to creative differences, the title later transferred to Jon Turteltaub in early 2016, who would direct the film for the remainder of the production. In April, various media outlets reported that action star Jason Statham would be taking the lead role of Jonas Taylor. Statham and much of the cast joined the later months of August and September 2016.

The film is an American and Chinese co-production. 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. Principal photography began on October 13, 2016, in West Auckland, New Zealand, and wrapped up on January 4 in Sanya City of Hainan, China.

Release[]

Released by Gravity Pictures in China and Warner Bros. Pictures in the United States, the film was initially scheduled to premiere on March 2, 2018. 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. The film was later pushed back from its original premiere date to a summer release of August 10, 2018. The studio spent $140 million on global prints and advertisements for the production alone.

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. As of August 2020, it is available to stream on Amazon Prime in the United Kingdom as well as Hulu in the United States by May 2023. It is also available on Amazon Prime in the United States.

Reception[]

Box office[]

The Meg grossed $145.4 million in the United States and Canada as well as $348.8 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $530.2 million, against a production budget between $130-178 million. Deadline Hollywood reported the film needed to gross around $400 million in order to break-even.

In the United States and Canada, it was initially projected to gross $20-22 million from 4,119 theaters in its opening weekend. 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. 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. The film made $21.5 million in its second weekend and $13 million in its third, finishing second behind Crazy Rich Asians both times.

The film debuted to $101.5 million from ninety-six 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 three 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).

Critical response[]

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." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". 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.

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."

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

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

Gallery[]


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Trivia[]

  • The 2018 film, The Meg, is based on the 1997 book, MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror.
  • Even though the film is an adaptation of the book Meg 1997 it is near completely different, the book is a horror/thriller that blends science fiction with sciebe to blur the lines and feels founded. The book also doesn't hold back on the gore, the film went the later fast n furious style of action comedy with the removal of all human blood. Mostly a mix of pandering to a younger audience and the chinese market.

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