The Meg, starring Jason Statham, broke the streak of relatively low profits seen by most shark movies. Though many movies have tried to replicate the success ofJaws, shark movies tend to be a niche genre. However, even thoughThe Megreceived mixed reviews, it was a box office hit, grossing over $530 million worldwide.The Meg’s endingleft the possibility open for a sequel, andwhenMeg 2: The Trenchpremiered in 2023, the combined earnings of bothMegmovies took the franchise to $927 million.
The plots for bothMegmovies are arguably ridiculous. In the original, Statham plays a rescue diver, recruited to help a group of research scientists who unwittingly release a megalodon while exploring the Mariana Trench. The sequel sees Statham, now an environmentalist, return to lead an expedition into the trench, which turns into chaos as he and his crew discover that it is mating season for the megalodons living there.TheMegmovies gave B-movie plots the A-list treatment, which appears to have paid off, showing thatpost-Jawsshark moviescan be successful if they offer viewers something different.
What Is Alphas? The Orca vs. Shark Movie Explained (& Is It Still Happening?)
Sam Worthington Was Set To Play The Lead
The plot ofAlphaswas said to involve a seaside town being terrorized by an increasing shark population, as an environmentalist tries to persuade an orca sanctuary owner to unleash a dangerous ‘alpha’ orca: the only one capable of beating the ‘alpha’ shark.Orcas have killed great white sharks, soAlphas’s predator vs predator angle is not that far-fetched.Alphaswas announced in 2020: a year that greatly impacted the movie industry. Filming set to begin in Puerto Rico was halted, and while the industry began to recover over the next few years, it appears thatAlphasdid not.
Action star Sam Worthington, best known at the time forAvatar, was set to play the environmentalist inAlphas, but it appears that he went on to work on theAvatarsequelsand is no longer attached to it. Director Liam O’Donnell is helming the film, withFast & Furiousstar Jordana Brewster andTitans' Teagan Croft having recently joined the project. This prolonged uncertainty is known as “development hell,” but there is hope. For example, afterThe Megmade significant changesto the plot, it was finally released following over a decade in development hell.
Jason Statham Meg Movies Prove There’s Both A Need And Hope For Alphas
The Shark Movie Genre Something New
BeforeThe Meg’s final cast and crew were confirmed, New Line Cinema had taken it on, with Guillermo del Toro as producer, but budget concerns halted the project. Warner Bros. then began working onThe Megwithdirector Eli Roth, who left due to creative differences, givingThe Megits final director: Jon Turteltaub.The Megcombined high-budget action with wacky plot elements, which, after so much uncertainty around production, generated unexpected success.The Meg’s approach could be applied toAlphas,which also offers a new element to the shark movie genre and the potential for sequels.
How Many More Meg Movies Jason Statham Can Make Based On The Books
The first two Meg adapt Steve Alten’s books of the same name. Here’s a breakdown of how many more books the franchise can adapt in future installments
The Meg 3might not be confirmed yet, butMeg 2: The Trenchwas a box office success internationally, and the ending left the possibility of a sequel open, with room to take theMegfranchise in many different creative directions. So far,there has never been an orca vs shark movie, and that unique element immediately gives shark movie fans a reason to watchAlphas, if it is ever made. If filmmakers giveAlphasthe big-budget treatment, with a capable action star and high-quality stunts,The Meghas proven that this approach can work.
The Meg
TheMegfranchise is a science fiction action-horror series centered around prehistoric sea creatures, particularly the massive Megalodon sharks. The films follow Jonas Taylor, a deep-sea rescue diver, as he battles these enormous predators that resurface from the depths of the ocean. Based on Steve Alten’s 1997 novelMeg: A Novel of Deep Terror, the franchise blends high-stakes action with thrilling encounters between humanity and these ancient creatures.
