MakingThe Megwas a bit of a marvel. The throwback actioner starringJason Stathamas a rescue diver called in to help aftera Megalodon shark attacksa research team was a co-production between the U.S. and China, featuring a mix of stars from both countries among its cast in the process. Such a production includes a lot of input from all sides to satisfy their respective audiences, especially considering the negative reputation of co-productions between the countries at the time. WithMeg 2: The Trench, directorBen Wheatleyfaced the same predicament when taking over forJon Turteltaub. Speaking to Collider’sSteve Weintraub, he explained how he was able to balance his ideas with the expectations of both the Chinese and American producers aboard the project.
Meg 2looks to bean even more bombastic follow-upto the original film with Statham back in the lead role and joined by Chinese action superstarWu Jingin place ofLi Bingbing. The pair lead a new expedition down into the deepest depths of the ocean wheremore horrific creatures and Megs await them. Add in a malevolent deep-sea mining operation and their work becomes a battle for survival against everything that could do them in under the sea. The formula of battling massive pre-historic sharks in over-the-top ridiculous fashion with plenty of charm spoke to audiences in both the East and the West in the first outing, garnering over $530 million at the box office.
When asked whether he felt the pressure of meeting the needs of producers in the U.S. and China, Wheatley explained it was less of a tug of war and more about making something internationally appealing without focusing on the contrast of East and West. Like Turteltaub before him, he also wanted to ensure Chinese characters were reflected with cultural accuracy, an issue that plagued past co-productions:
“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.”
Meg 2: The TrenchCould Kick Off a Massive Franchise
ShouldMeg 2continue the international success of its predecessor, aMeg 3could be in the cards with Wheatley back at the helm. The directorpersonally hopes he gets to revisit the trench againandexplore the many mysteriesthat still lie within the briny deep. Thanks to its diverse cast, he also felt that theMegfranchise sends a critical message of international cooperation to audiences at a tumultuous time for the world.
In addition to Statham and Jing,Meg 2also features returning cast membersPage Kennedy,Shuya Sophia Cai, andCliff Curtisalongside newcomersSergio Peris-Mencheta,Sienna Guillory, andSkyler Samuels. The story was based onSteve Alten’s science-fiction novelThe Trench: Meg 2withJon Hoeber,Erich Hoeber, andDean Georgarispenning the screenplay.
Meg 2: The Trenchpremieres on August 4. Check out the trailer below and be sure to check out our full interview with Wheatley here at Collider.
