As a huge movie fan, I’ve been so glad to see Jason Statham’s The Meg get the attention it deserves on HBO Max. Honestly, it’s become the shark movie I recommend to everyone – it really fills the void left by Jaws. Jaws was obviously huge back in ’75, making sharks terrifying and cementing its place in movie history. But The Meg, released 43 years later, totally brought the shark attack thriller back to life, and the shark in The Meg? Way bigger and more intimidating than the one from Jaws! It’s a fantastic ride.
The 2018 monster movie The Meg takes inspiration from Steve Alten’s 1997 novel of the same name and brings back the thrill – and fear – of sharks in the ocean. Directed by Jon Turteltaub (known for Last Vegas), the film updates the classic shark-attack formula established by Jaws, featuring an even bigger and scarier predator. It reflects what modern audiences want to see in a monster movie, and after becoming available on HBO Max, it’s gaining renewed attention and sparking hopes for more films in the series.
The Meg Supersizes Jaws’ Original Formula
Released in 1975, Jaws essentially created the modern summer blockbuster. The film follows police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider), marine biologist Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw) as they try to stop a terrifying great white shark from attacking a New England beach town. Jaws was also groundbreaking as one of the first major movies filmed on the ocean, and it significantly changed the film industry, paving the way for the business models that later films like The Meg would successfully use.
The movie Jaws featured a terrifying battle against a great white shark, but The Meg takes that concept even further with a gigantic, prehistoric Megalodon. The story follows a deep-sea rescue diver who is called upon when scientists become trapped in the Mariana Trench. They quickly discover they are being hunted by prehistoric creatures, including the massive Megalodon shark.
The megalodon was a colossal shark, growing three times the length of a great white and weighing up to 30 times more – easily surpassing the 25-foot shark from the movie Jaws. While Jaws built suspense slowly, The Meg is a fast-paced, action-filled adventure. It swaps the feeling of being trapped and terrified for a grand, spectacular experience, but still clearly honors the original 1975 film. Jason Statham and the rest of the cast skillfully manage this blend of action and tribute.
The Meg Is Designed For a Larger Audience Than Jaws
Released in 1975, Jaws essentially invented the modern summer blockbuster. It proved that big-budget action movies could be hugely profitable, changing Hollywood’s business strategy. The Meg clearly takes inspiration from Jaws, with scenes of a giant shark attacking boats and swimmers. However, The Meg tells a bigger story, reflecting how both filmmaking and what audiences want to see have evolved since the 1970s.
While Spielberg’s classic relies on suspense and psychological horror, The Meg focuses on impressive visual effects and lighthearted entertainment. This difference reflects that The Meg was created for a wider international audience, boasting enhanced visuals, detailed sets, more engaging performances, and plenty of fun. Considering the significant budget gap between the two films, this shift in approach isn’t surprising.
As a movie buff, I always find it fascinating to compare films across generations. Take Jaws, for example. Steven Spielberg made it back in 1975 for Universal, based on Peter Benchley’s novel, with a surprisingly small budget of just $9 million. It absolutely blew everyone away and became the highest-grossing film of all time… until Star Wars came along just two years later! Even with re-releases over the years, Jaws has still earned an incredible $495 million worldwide. Fast forward to 2018, and we have The Meg. While it’s a fun creature feature, it cost a lot more to make – somewhere between $130 and $178 million! It did pretty well, earning $529 million globally, but it really highlights how much film production costs have changed since the days of Jaws.
The growing popularity of films like The Meg demonstrates how much Hollywood and what audiences enjoy have evolved over the past fifty years. Today, even more than in 2018, streaming services play a major role, and The Meg is finding a new audience after becoming available on HBO Max. As of July 22, 2026, this renewed interest in the United States could lead to more sequels and expansions of The Meg franchise.
The Meg’s New Viewership Could Spell Good News For Its Future
As a huge film buff, I remember how Jaws spawned three sequels after the original – none of which had Steven Spielberg or author Peter Benchley involved. Well, Meg 2: The Trench follows that pattern in a way! It picks up with Jason Statham’s character, Jonas Taylor, and his team five years after the first movie. They’ve been researching Megalodons when a shady mining operation messes everything up and, you guessed it, unleashes those massive sharks again. This sequel is largely based on Steve Alten’s 1999 novel The Trench.
Despite costing between $129 and $139 million to produce, Meg 2: The Trench earned $398.5 million at the box office during the summer of 2023 and received generally negative reviews, even compared to the first Meg film, which many felt was unfairly criticized. This could mean there won’t be a third movie. However, like the Jaws series, The Meg could potentially continue with multiple sequels. While Jaws had four films, each one less successful than the last, The Meg franchise seems to have more potential for longevity.
As a big fan of creature features, I’ve been following The Meg movies closely. What’s really interesting is that they aren’t starting from scratch like Jaws eventually did. These films are based on a whole series of novels by Steve Alten! The first movie adapted his 1997 book, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, and the second took on The Trench from 1999. But here’s the kicker – there are so many more books in the series already written, like Meg: Primal Waters, Meg: Hell’s Aquarium, Meg: Nightstalkers, Meg: Generations, and even a new one called Meg: Purgatory on the way. That means they have tons of material to work with, which is exciting because it feels like The Meg franchise could really keep going for a long time!
Just before the release of Meg 2: The Trench in July 2023, director Ben Wheatley (High-Rise) mentioned that Warner Bros. Pictures had talked about making a third movie. This potential sequel could draw ideas from Steve Alten’s novel Meg: Primal Waters, where Jonas Taylor works as an advisor on a reality TV show that’s then attacked by Megalodons. It remains to be seen what the future holds for The Meg franchise.
2026-07-24 03:08