When the inevitable Steven Spielberg biopic comes along, it will be an unforgivable injustice if the nuances of him being the father of the modern blockbuster aren’t explored – cultural shifts, audiences’ attitudes, artistic ramifications, and all.
The famed filmmaker’s claim to such a legacy can be traced back to Jaws, the legendary 1975 thriller that skyrocketed cases of aquaphobia back in the day, and also the reason why we’ve had so many lackluster shark movies since then.
Anyway, The Meg is getting a sequel, as expected of any creature feature that pulls in $530 million on a $130 million production budget, and if this new trailer is anything to go by, it looks like Meg 2: The Trench will be leaning into its strengths, specifically those of a gore-soaked theme park, to boot.
Ben Wheatley will helm the sequel with a script from returning writers Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris. Jason Statham, the action-thriller poster boy, is also back as Jonas Taylor, while Cliff Curtis and Page Kennedy also return as Mac and DJ. The sharks, meanwhile, will be created by what we hope is a top-notch CGI team.
All jests aside, we’re pulling for Meg 2: The Trench to serve up some fun, popcorn-worthy summer entertainment, especially considering the obvious heart that Steve Alten — the author of the books that the Meg franchise is based on — put in to his work, and we can only imagine the joy that comes with seeing one’s work recreated on the big screen. So, here’s hoping we’re in for a shark movie that’s, at the very least, less derivative than most other shark movies.
Meg 2: The Trench is due in theaters on Aug. 4.
