Meg 2 set up a potential Jason Statham dinosaur movie, combining action and prehistoric creatures.
A Statham dinosaur film could be even bigger than The Meg, capitalizing on the popularity of dinosaurs.
A new franchise would be necessary for a Jason Statham dinosaur movie to avoid complications with the Meg series.
Jason Statham’s box office success with Meg 2: The Trench cemented his status as one of the world’s leading action stars – yet while the movie made an undeniable impact, there’s a sense that it set up a story that, so far, represents a major missed opportunity for Statham. Thanks to his involvement in projects like the Meg and Fast and Furious movies, Statham is no stranger to successful series. However, while he has demonstrated that he has many different strings to his acting bow, one potential storyline remains unexplored.
Both Meg 2 and the original Meg film represent important milestones for Statham. While he has starred in many different kinds of action movies, The Meg and Meg 2 prove that he has the potential to carry a more sci-fi-oriented series – something that has been largely absent from his resume (with the possible exception of Fast and Furious). Like the original, Meg 2 continued the story of Statham’s battle against an extinct giant shark in the present day. However, while the film’s box office success highlighted audiences’ appetite for such stories, the sequel also set up an offshoot that could be even more impactful.
With The Meg 2: The Trench in theaters, conversations about a trilogy of giant shark movies and The Meg 3 are starting to take shape.
The Meg 2 Was The Perfect Setup For A Jason Statham Dinosaur Movie
Although the Meg movies take place in the contemporary world, the films’ stories have set up potentially thrilling new avenue for Statham to explore. As part of the promotion for Meg 2, a scene was teased where one of the giant sharks devoured a Tyrannosaurus Rex on a beach before slipping back into the ocean. This is a far cry from what’s seen in the actual Meg movies, with all of the action happening in a recognizably modern setting. Nevertheless, Meg 2’s link with the past thanks to its fishy protagonist and the initial trailer tease creates the tantalizing possibility of a Jason Statham dinosaur movie.
Thanks to the Meg franchise’s convoluted and somewhat unbelievable explanation for how megalodon managed to survive extinction, the series has created a precedent for bringing prehistoric creatures back from beyond the grave. Although there’s no possibility of dinosaurs surviving in the same way as the giant sharks, the franchise has already proven that combining Statham’s action movie credentials with iconic megafauna is a winning formula. After Meg 2’s tease, a Jason Statham dinosaur film is the logical next step.
A Jason Statham Dinosaur Movie Could Be Even Bigger Than The Meg
Although the two Meg movies have made an impressive impact at the box office, a similar themed project revolving around Jason Statham and dinosaurs could be even more successful. The two movies have made over $900 million combined at the global box office, highlighting how Jason Statham’s personality combines very effectively with the kind of creature-feature concept that a dinosaur film would inevitably draw on. Building on this precedent, a Statham dinosaur movie could be even more lucrative.
Compared to The Meg, the Jurassic World movies are off the scale in terms of financial achievement, with each installment generating over $1 billion at the box office.
There are two main reasons to suspect a Statham dinosaur project could be even bigger than The Meg. For starters, dinosaur movies have historically been a huge box office draw – even more so than most shark films. Compared to The Meg, the Jurassic World movies are off the scale in terms of financial achievement, with each installment generating over $1 billion at the box office. Mixing the series’ dinosaur action with Jason Statham’s proven star power could be a potent recipe.
A second factor is that neither Meg movie has been particularly well reviewed. While it’s unclear to what extent this has limited the films’ box office, it does suggest that aspects of the concept are not working for critics. Doubling down on the potential spectacle that such movies can deliver in combination with the proven popularity of dinosaurs may be the answer to achieving more sustained success for Statham in the extinct animals subgenre.
Jason Statham’s Dinosaur Film Would Probably Need A New Franchise
While Meg 2’s tease and the proven popularity of dinosaur movies is a tantalizing setup, any Jason Statham dinosaur movie would likely need a new setting to succeed. The Meg series narrative device of the “Thermocline” being the key reason why Megalodons have been able to survive undetected obviously doesn’t apply to dinosaurs. Furthermore, the fact that dinosaurs are land animals creates further complications within the context of the existing franchise.
As a result, the best way for a Jason Statham dinosaur movie to happen, despite Meg 2’s tease, is in a completely new series. While the franchise could borrow from the things that made the Meg movies successful, an entirely new premise would avoid any of the complications that would push the existing franchise beyond the boundaries of science and straight into fantasy. However, this wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. As The Meg and Meg 2 have proven, Jason Statham is more than capable of carrying off an outlandish movie concept.