Something’s lurking in the water… again. Warner Bros. Pictures is set to release The Meg 2: The Trench, the sequel to 2018’s The Meg, next year.
The first film told the story of a group of scientists encountering the titular gigantic prehistoric shark. The Meg is an adaptation of 1997’s Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by author Steve Alten. Audiences were hooked, and the film saw a worldwide gross of more than $530 million. Based on those numbers, it makes sense that Warner Bros. Pictures would be eager to churn out a sequel, perhaps leading this to be the next blockbuster sci-fi/horror franchise.
So, what do we know about next year’s The Meg 2: The Trench? How will it continue the original story, and what new adventures will we see? Who is returning from the first film, and will any new faces join them? When and where can we see the movie when it is released? And what else should audiences know about The Meg 2: The Trench?
The Meg 2: The Plot
As mentioned, the original The Meg film was based on Alten’s 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. Two years later, Alten published the sequel novel, The Trench, which will be the basis for the new film. While we don’t yet know what the plot of the sequel will focus on, we can guess what we might see based on the story from the book.
The Trench picks off a few years after the first book ended, with Jonas Taylor studying a young megalodon held in captivity. As other members of the research teams explore the Mariana Trench where the megalodon was first found, they discover another prehistoric creature, the Kronosaurus. This creature was a large marine reptile who had evolved to hunt in packs and lived in the trench. Now, faced with this new creature in addition to the megalodons, Jonas must confront his demons from the first book in order to try and keep his life together.
We don’t yet know how closely Meg 2 will follow the plot of the sequel book, but we at least have a basis for what we can likely expect from the story. The title, The Meg 2: The Trench, seems to indicate that the film will follow the book, but again, nothing concrete is known. There are four sequel books following The Trench (with more potentially in the works), so there is no shortage of source material should Warner Bros. Pictures want to pursue this as their next sci-fi action franchise.
The Meg 2: The Cast
Jason Statham is reprising his lead role of Jonas Taylor in the sequel. Cliff Curtis is set to return as James “Mac” Mackreides, Taylor’s friend and the institute's operations manager. Page Kennedy will be back as DJ, and Shuya Sophia Cai’s Meiying, the daughter of Suyin, will be returning.
Beyond those four, there are no additional cast members from the first film set to return. It is still early, and perhaps their involvement is just being kept a secret. Considering how many of the characters died in the first film, some returns seem more unlikely than others.
The returning cast will be joined by a variety of new players. Resident Evil’s Sienna Guillory will be the new female lead. Not much is known about her character, only that she is the head of an applied sciences division. Actress and model Skyler Samuels will play a member of Jonas Taylor’s submarine crew who thrives on adventure. The film’s main antagonist will be played by Snowfall star Sergio Peris-Mencheta, who is reportedly a hardened mercenary. Chinese star Wu Jing is also joining the cast, though his exact role and storyline are unknown at this point.
We can reasonably expect additional casting announcements and confirmations to follow in the coming months.
Release Date
Warner Bros. Pictures is set to release The Meg 2: The Trench in theaters on August 4, 2023. As a co-production between the United States and China, the first film was released simultaneously in the two countries in 2018. It is unknown if the sequel will use the same strategy, as currently, it is only set to release in the United States.
The Meg Franchise
With a total of six books in The Meg franchise, Warner Bros. Pictures has a wealth of source material should they want to make a new franchise out of this property. Already evoking vibes of Jaws and Jurassic Park, this potential franchise could combine elements of the two into a new modern sci-fi monster story -- a mainstream, less campy Sharknado. If anything is an indicator of success, it’s sequels and reboots.
With the first film bringing in half a billion dollars alone, the recipe for a franchise is right there. All Warner Bros. Pictures has to do is use the existing source material and let the audience take care of the rest.