Meg 2: The Trench Is Finally Happening

It’s official – Meg 2: The Trench is on its way. According to Variety, the upcoming sequel to The Meg has begun filming in the U.K., with director Ben Wheatley starting production on the highly-anticipated sci-fi action flick.

KFTV previously reported that Meg 2: The Trench was ready to begin moving forward.

It’s thought that Jason Statham will reprise his role as Jonas Taylor, a beleaguered rescue diver who encountered an 80-foot prehistoric Megalodon in the first movie. Bingbing Li is also expected to return as oceanographer Suyin.

The Meg was based on Steve Alten’s 1997 book, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, and became a box office success, earning $530 million. Not bad for a big, dumb shark movie.

Critically, the film fared a lot worse, earning just 46% at Rotten Tomatoes. IGN’s own review said, “The Meg is a big, dumb shark movie that takes itself a little too seriously, and that’s the point. Jason Statham is perfect, the shark attacks are entertainingly broad, and the supporting cast brings personality to the otherwise straightforward script.”

Although the plot for Meg 2: The Trench is currently unknown, the original novel’s author Steve Alten hinted towards a “dark and tense” tone.

Jason Statham will next return to the big screen in The Expendables 4, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. He’s also set to star in Guy Ritchie’s Orson Fortune as well as The Bee Keeper.

Meg 2: The Trench will star Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor, reprising his role from the first movie. Ben Wheatley will direct the film based on a script by Dean Georgaris, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber.

The Meg producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery will return for the sequel alongside executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.