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Jason Statham’s Biggest Sci-Fi Double Feature Officially Swims Onto HBO Max
*The Meg* and its sequel, *Meg 2: The Trench*, began streaming on HBO Max on 1 November, bringing Jason Statham’s shark-action films together as a double feature. Their arrival adds two established audience draws to the service, despite mixed or poor critical responses.
The 2018 original, about a giant prehistoric shark in the Mariana Trench, earned $530 million worldwide on a reported $175 million budget, though critics and audiences gave it 47% and 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. The 2023 sequel added dinosaurs and a larger shark; critics rated it 27%, while its audience score was 72%. Both films star Statham as Jonas Taylor.
In short
- Both Meg films arrived on HBO Max on 1 November.
- The original earned $530 million worldwide.
- Audiences rated Meg 2 more highly than critics did.
Explained simply
The Meg films are action thrillers built around the megalodon, a huge shark species that lived millions of years ago. In the stories, marine researcher Jonas Taylor, played by Jason Statham, faces the shark after it is found in the deep ocean.
The first film came out in 2018 and was followed by Meg 2: The Trench in 2023. Their box-office success, alongside mixed reviews, shows how a film’s popularity with ticket-buyers can differ from critics’ assessments.