As Jason Statham finishes up the very prolific year of 2026, his most successful movie is coming to a new streaming home. Released in 2018, this sci-fi action gem saw Statham stand against one of his biggest enemies in a genre mashup whose success was anything but predictable. Surprisingly, audiences did connect with the monster film, and it became Statham’s highest-grossing film in which he was the lead, as well as one of his most rewatchable action movies.
‘The Meg’ Is Jason Statham’s Most Successful Film
Based on Steve Alten’s novel Meg, Jon Turteltaub’s sci-fi thriller The Meg follows deep-sea rescue specialist Jonas Taylor (Statham) as he’s recruited to lead a mission in the Mariana Trench. A group of scientists becomes trapped deep underwater, forcing Taylor to confront the trauma of a previous mission in which he had to abandon his crew after an encounter with an unidentified sea creature. Now, the rescue diver will meet his nemesis: an ancient megalodon that has escaped, and is heading toward populated areas to feed.
The Meg is officially Jason Statham’s highest-grossing movie with him as a lead (a few entries in the Fast and Furious series, where he’s a supporting character, were much more successful). Released in August 2018 by Warner Bros. Pictures, the film grossed $529 million against a $178 million production budget. With a box office result like this one, it’s safe to assume that The Meg had a positive reception from audiences. Nonetheless, the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes is 44%. The critics’ score is currently 47%, which is not a surprise, given the film’s spectacle-driven nature. It is a disaster film featuring a prehistoric creature that, at one point, swims in the waters near a beach filled with unsuspecting vacationers. Yes, there is that shot that was teased on one of the great posters of the film.
‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Is Also Arriving on Streaming
Naturally, when The Meg defied all expectations in 2018 and became a worldwide hit, a sequel became the next step. Although creature features may not be as popular as other genres, the box office performance of the first and the potential to expand the narrative led the studio to recruit Statham and find a director brave enough to tackle the risky, multi-million-dollar sequel.
Meg 2: The Trench was also very successful with audiences, grossing nearly $400 million and at one point standing beside the phenomenon that was Barbie as a box office contender. While the story is not as interesting this time, the idea of more megalodons and Statham facing worse odds were enough to draw in audiences. Curiously, Meg 2: The Trench boasts an audience score of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a significant improvement when compared to The Meg‘s 44%.
For those looking to revisit Statham’s 2018 blockbuster, nothing beats getting two for the price of one. Meg 2: The Trench is also coming to Hulu on November 1, allowing viewers to put together a double-bill starring one of the greatest action icons of his time.
