The Big Picture Meg 2: The Trench, a collaborative effort between the United States and China, aims to captivate audiences from both the East and West with its diverse cast. Director Ben Wheatley prioritized international cooperation and cultural accuracy in order to avoid perpetuating stereotypes or creating confusion between the two cultures. If Meg 2 achieves the same level of success as its predecessor, there is the potential for a sequel, Meg 3, which would delve further into the mysteries of the deep sea.
Creating The Meg was quite a remarkable task. This action-packed film, featuring Jason Statham as a rescue diver called upon to assist a research team after a Megalodon shark attack, was a joint production between the United States and China. The cast included actors from both countries, necessitating input from all sides to please their respective audiences, especially considering the negative perception of collaborations between the two nations at that time.
With Meg 2: The Trench, director Ben Wheatley faced a similar challenge when taking over from Jon Turteltaub. In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Wheatley discussed how he managed to balance his own ideas with the expectations of both the Chinese and American producers involved in the project. Meg 2 promises to be an even more thrilling continuation of the original film, with Statham returning as the lead and Chinese action superstar Wu Jing replacing Li Bingbing. The duo embarks on a new expedition into the deepest depths of the ocean, where they encounter horrifying creatures and Megalodons. Adding to the intensity is a malicious deep-sea mining operation, turning their work into a battle for survival against the perils lurking beneath the sea.
The formula of pitting gigantic pre-historic sharks against charismatic characters in an outrageously entertaining manner resonated with audiences in both the East and the West, resulting in the first film’s box office success of over $530 million. When questioned about the pressure of meeting the requirements of producers from the United States and China, Wheatley emphasized that it wasn’t about pleasing different factions, but rather creating a film with international appeal that didn’t focus on East versus West contrasts. Like his predecessor, Turteltaub, Wheatley also desired accurate cultural representation of Chinese characters, aiming to avoid the pitfalls of past collaborative productions. He stated, “I didn’t ever see it as groups of people wanting their stuff. There’s no hierarchy in that, in a way. It’s more like you’re trying to make a film that will play internationally, and China is a massive part of that international audience. We were making a film that wasn’t like, ‘Oh, look at the differences between East and West, and the funny confusions between people.’ It’s not that. It’s just like an international crew of people, of characters, working together towards a goal of basically surviving or whatever. And we had Chinese writers who were kind of helping with making sure that Wu Jing’s character would fit within culturally, so there was no clumsiness from our side, and it would all make sense to the Chinese audience. We just paid really clear attention to those little bits of detail that would help the Chinese audience. But equally, we didn’t want that to overbear the western side of it, so it was a very subtle balance between the two as much as we could.”
Should Meg 2 replicate the international success of its predecessor, the possibility of a Meg 3 film franchise becomes increasingly likely, with Wheatley at the helm once again. The director personally hopes to revisit the trench and explore the numerous mysteries still hidden within the depths of the ocean. He believes that the Meg franchise, with its diverse cast, conveys a vital message of international cooperation during a volatile period in the world. Alongside Statham and Jing, Meg 2 also features returning actors Page Kennedy, Shuya Sophia Cai, and Cliff Curtis, as well as newcomers Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Sienna Guillory, and Skyler Samuels. The story is based on Steve Alten’s science-fiction novel The Trench: Meg 2, with the screenplay written by Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Dean Georgaris. Meg 2: The Trench premieres on August 4. Watch the trailer below and read the full interview with Wheatley here at Collider.
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Khushi Patel is a science fiction author who lives in Austin, Texas. She has published three novels, and her work has been praised for its originality and imagination. Khushi is a graduate of Rice University, and she has worked as a software engineer. She is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, and her books have been nominated for several awards.
