What do you get when you cross Jason Statham with a giant prehistoric shark? The answer: a $141.3 million worldwide opening haul, as audiences around the globe flocked to Warner Bros. and Gravity Pictures’ The Meg this weekend.
The adaptation of the Steve Alten book Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror debuted in first place in 28 markets, including North America where it amassed $44.5 million across the Friday to Sunday period. China led the way however with $50.3 million of the film’s $96.8 million haul from 42 international territories.
According to reports, The Meg will need to hit around $400 million worldwide, given its rather hefty production budget of between $130 and $180 million, plus a further $140 million on marketing.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of The Meg here and here
SEE ALSO: The Meg director talks gory, R-rated cut that will never be seen
A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that, years before, Taylor had encountered this same terrifying creature. Now, teamed with Suyin, he must confront his fears and risk his own life to save everyone trapped below…bringing him face to face once more with the greatest and largest predator of all time.
The Meg features a cast that includes Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Wintson Chao, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Robert Taylor, Masi Oka, Jessica McNamee, Page Kennedy, Olafur Darri Olafsson and Sophia Shuya Cai.
