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Warner Bros. has discovered a surprisingly good late summer hit withMeg 2: The Trench,despite the film not exactly making a significant mark in the United States. The film, which serves as a follow-up to 2018’sThe Meg,sees Jason Statham return to battle more megalodons. It has quietly grown to be a significant hit abroad, particularly in China. The movie’s worldwide gross has now surpassed $300 million after another strong weekend.
The movie is based on the 1999 release of Steve Alten’s science fiction-horror novel,The Trench. Cliff Curtis, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, and Skyler Samuels also appear alongside Jason Statham in the latest film.
Moreover, Meg 2: The Trenchappears to have luckily escaped Dwayne Johnson’s nightmare fate, given that the actor formerly stated that the reason for hisBlack Adam‘s failure was the lack of a Chinese release.
READ MORE:“It’s not just the greatest shark film of all time”: Steven Spielberg’s $482 Million Movie Has Undeniable Influence on Jason Statham’s ‘Meg 2: The Trench’
Jason Statham’sMeg 2: The TrenchBags $105 Million in China
The series’ second installment,Meg 2: The Trench, which came out five years after the first movie, is the real test for the franchise’s long-term viability. Ben Wheatley’s latest film is on track to make a nice profit despite some dire predictions about its financial future. The film made back its entire production cost in just its first weekend of release. TheJason Statham-led sequel had a lot going for it, so its success should not come as a huge surprise.
According to The Numbers,Meg 2: The Trenchalready made $6.73 million in its third domestic weekend, whileBlue Beetlebeat outBarbieto take the top spot with a $25 million debut. More significantly, Statham starrer increased its worldwide gross by just $22 million, bringing it to $318.3 million.
In particular,Meg 2: The Trenchhas raked in more than $105 million in China, making it one of the few Hollywood films to do so besidesAvatar: The Way of WaterandGodzilla vs. Kongsince the pandemic started.
China used to be a reliable source for Hollywood, but in this case, it will likely be the film’s saving grace.
READ MORE:“More ridiculous than I thought”: Studio Spent $130 Million For Jason Statham to Fight Dinosaurs in ‘Meg 2: The Trench’ And Fans Love It
Did Dwayne Johnson Attribute The Failure OfBlack AdamTo The China Ban?
There is no denying that Hollywood films have a sizable audience in China. To make a significant contribution to the overall box office, every notable Hollywood film targets the Chinese market.
But recently, several well-known films have been banned in China as a result of the country’s strict censorship regulations. This list also includes the filmsBlack Adam, Shang-Chi,Eternals,as well asBlack Panther 2.
Dwayne Johnsonacknowledged on theHart to Heartshow that theBlack Adamlost at least“$100-200 million” as a result of the Chinese ban. Heexplained that the franchise was “caught in a vortex of new leadership” in response to host Kevin Hart’s question as to why it was being discontinued.
The actor further added:
“It was so many changes in leadership. Anytime you have a company, a publicly traded company, and you have all those changes in leadership, you have people coming in who, creatively and fiscally, are going to make decisions that you may not agree with.”
Although he was still unsure of the reasons behind the character’s removal given the franchise’s popularity in the studio, he continued by saying that it was“caught in the web of new leadership”.
He argued:
“That will always be one of the biggest mysteries. You have the biggest opening of your career. Sure, no China, which could’ve been maybe 100 or 200 million more dollars. You have a superhero and you want to grow out the franchise. You bring back Superman and Henry Cavill, which the world went crazy [about]. And we created a diverse superhero portfolio, where we have just men and women of color in Black Adam.”
Black Adam,directed by Jaume Collet-Serrareceived mixed reviews and a global gross of $393 million but was labeled a box office bomb.
You can streamBlack Adamon Max.
READ MORE:Jason Statham Joins Elite Club of Rare 0% Rotten Movies With Meg 2 With Denzel Washington, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert Downey Jr.
Source-SlashFilm;Hart to Heart
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
