"The Meg" with Jason Statham was a true surprise hit in 2018 and offered plenty of fun action. In 2023, the sequel is supposed to pick up where the movie left off and once again attract the masses to the movies to watch giant monster sharks. So, it's high time for a small preview of "Meg 2: The Trench"!

Plot

First, we'll turn our attention to the plot. The second part of "The Meg" is supposed to tie in with the predecessor in terms of story content, but will be even more brutal and terrifying than the original. Let's take a brief look back at what has happened so far: The first part's story revolves around deep-sea diver Jonas Taylor, who actually specializes in rescue missions. However, when a gigantic prehistoric shark attacks a submarine, Taylor has to put all his skills to the test to save the crew from the megalodon, a creature that is supposed to be extinct. He is supported by the oceanographer Dr. Minway Zhang and his daughter Suyin, because it is obviously quite difficult to take out the largest shark that has ever lived.

The scientists quickly realize that the giant creature probably originates from a huge ocean trench that was opened as a result of a thermal explosion. The team around Jonas Taylor finally resorts to underwater bombs and manipulated torpedoes. However, the megalodon manages to wreak havoc on an entire beach section and kill countless people. In the end, the crew succeeds to injure the shark, after which it is eventually attacked and killed by other sharks. After the events, the main characters Jonas and Suyin first decide to go on vacation.

The second part is also to be based directly on the book original by Steve Alten, as the author already affirmed in 2018. This could avoid the same fate that befell the sequels to "Jaws". In the case of the cult series, there was only one book on which the story was based and that was quickly used up. Alten, in contrast, has published eight "The Meg" books so far, which is why it seems only logical that "The Meg 2" will be based on the second book called "The Trench". In this book, a new gigantic sea creature appears that spreads fear and terror: The talk is about a kronosaurus, which is not bigger than the megalodon, but likes to hunt in groups and is thus clearly more dangerous. The main character, Jonas Taylor, not only has to deal with this new enemy, but also with an offspring of the megalodon named Angel. Angel has meanwhile become a tourist attraction, but threatens to escape from human captivity at any time. So Taylor and his comrades won't get bored anytime soon and the audience can again look forward to plenty of shark action in all shapes and sizes.

Cast

Since filming of "The Meg 2: The Trench" already started at the beginning of 2022, the cast is well-known. Of course, we will again see action icon Jason Statham in the leading role. He is joined, among others, by Cliff Curtis as Mac, Shuya Sophia Cai as Meiying and Page Kennedy as DJ. New to the cast are "Resident Evil" actress Sienna Guillory as the leader of a research project, "American Horror Story" actress Skyler Samuels as a new member of Taylor's crew, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta, who played in "Snowfall" and will portray a hard-edged mercenary.

Production

There are also new people behind the scenes. On the one hand, Jon Turteltaub, the director of the first movie, has been replaced. He is succeeded by Ben Wheatley, who last directed the horror flick "In the Earth" in 2021 and was signed on by those in charge following the success of his Netflix film "Rebecca".

The production will once again be led by "Transformers" producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura as well as Belle Avery, who was also involved in the first movie. Those of you who enjoyed the score for "The Meg" can also look forward to composer Harry Gregson-Williams once again.

Let's wait and see what we can expect from the planned theatrical release of "Meg 2: The Trench" on August 4, 2023.