Jason Statham will always be known for playing Deckard Shaw in the Fast & Furious movies, but seven years ago, he starred in another action thriller that’s become a global streaming sensation. Statham stars alongside Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Cliff Curtis (Avatar: The Way of Water) in The Meg, the 2018 sci-fi kaiju thriller following a crew who goes on a rescue mission after the ocean is terrorized by a gargantuan prehistoric shark. The Meg is streaming on HBO Max in America and on Netflix globally, where it’s one of the most popular movies in countries such as France, Guadeloupe, Tunisia, and Yemen. The Meg was poorly received by critics and audiences, earning scores of 47% from critics and 44% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it did gross $529 million at the box office against a $130 million budget, making it a major financial hit.
During a 2018 interview with Empire Magazine to promote the film, Statham spoke about the main attraction in The Meg, saying, “Who doesn’t want to watch a movie about the biggest shark that’s ever existed?” He continued, “And I get to be in it? This is as good as it gets.” The Meg was such a success that it prompted a sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, which did not perform as well at the box office. After the original Meg grossed over $500 million, the sequel failed to reach even $400 million globally, but due to the film’s $130 million budget, it was still a financial success. Jon Turteltaub did not return to helm Meg 2: The Trench, and was instead replaced by Ben Wheatley.
Is Jason Statham Going To Be in the Next ‘Fast & Furious’ Movie?
Jason Statham is expected to reprise his role as Deckard Shaw in Fast X: Part 2, which is set to begin filming soon. Statham showed up briefly in the most recent installment, Fast X, which teased that Deckard would be rejoining the fight in a much larger capacity in the final movie. He’s also not alone in making a Fast & Furious comeback — Statham’s Hobbs & Shaw co-star Dwayne Johnson is also returning for Fast 11. There have even been whispers of a potential Hobbs & Shaw sequel, but things have been quiet on that front for a while now.
The Meg is one of the most popular movies in the world on Netflix globally. Stay tuned to Collider for more streaming updates and coverage of Statham’s future projects.
