British Horror Director Ben Wheatley to Helm ‘The Meg 2’
After the initial release of the sci-fi horror hit The Meg back in 2018, the film has since taken centre-stage in the sharksploitation sub-genre. Based on the 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, in a series written by Steve Alten, the 75-foot-long Megalodon has put to shame the great whites of Jaws, Sharknado and The Shallows. We are now eager to see how its sequel The Meg 2 will match up.
Early 2019 saw mention of a script underway by producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and now British director Ben Wheatley reveals more on his involvement and what we can expect. Known for directing Sightseers, Kill List, and more recently the Netflix adaptation of Rebecca, The Meg 2 is just another step out into Hollywood territory for this typically indie thriller filmmaker.
The original blockbuster, directed by Jon Turteltaub and featuring Fast and Furious star Jason Statham, rose to unanticipated success when it grossed a whopping $530 million at the box office. Its blend of tongue-in-cheek humour, classic man vs. apex predator narrative, and dramatic score from Harry Gregson-Williams, has, according to Wheatley, left him with “big boots to fill”.
Whilst thrilled by the prospect of working with a larger budget, in order to preserve Turteltaub’s legacy, Wheatley claims that “a lot of it is respecting The Meg… I didn’t want to necessarily make it something completely different that nobody recognized, you know?” With this in mind, it seems that The Meg 2 will follow closely in the footsteps of its predecessor, as Jason Statham is also expected to make a return. It is unlikely then that we’ll see Wheatley venturing out into any R-rated material this time.
At the moment, there has been no confirmation of a release date, aside from a brief hint at summer 2023. However, if it plays out in a similar fashion to its literary counterpart, this could potentially mark the beginning of a winning film franchise.