Ben Wheatley’s 2023 sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, pushed the chaos further and collected another $398.50 million. That brings the combined total to $927.84 million, slightly higher than the frequently cited $927.5 million figure.
Why do overseas audiences matter so much?
The franchise’s commercial story becomes more interesting once the worldwide totals are separated. Box Office Mojo reports that 72.5% of the first film’s revenue came from outside North America. For the sequel, that international share climbed to 79.3%.
China played a major role. The original earned $153.03 million there, while Meg 2 took approximately $118.7 million in the market, according to The Direct. Those are substantial numbers even though the second film could not match its predecessor.
The domestic trend was much less cheerful:
- The Meg earned $145.44 million in North America.
- Meg 2: The Trench fell to $82.60 million domestically.
- Worldwide revenue declined by roughly $131 million between films.
That drop helps explain why Warner Bros. may not be rushing into another expensive ocean expedition. Reported budgets also complicate the decision. Box Office Mojo lists the first film at $130 million, while The Numbers estimates the sequel at $129 million. Other estimates have placed the original as high as $178 million, so claims that the follow-up was made much more cheaply depend on which figures are used.
A third outing would therefore need to remain a worldwide event, particularly across Asian and other international markets. Jonas Taylor may be the hero, but the overseas box office is the franchise’s true heavyweight.
Why did Meg 2 lean harder into the absurdity?
The first movie borrowed the awe and tension of Steven Spielberg’s creature classics. The sequel kept the danger but loosened its collar. It introduced additional Megalodons, more prehistoric animals, broader human villains and more opportunities for Statham to glare at impossible situations until they became manageable.
That tonal shift did not charm most critics. The audience response on Rotten Tomatoes, however, sat 45 percentage points above the critical score, suggesting viewers were considerably more receptive to its expensive B-movie energy. The appeal was no longer just the fear of what might be lurking below. It was the promise that each new creature would make the previous one look almost sensible.
Wheatley’s film also understood Statham’s particular screen presence. His résumé already includes Fast & Furious installments and two Crank movies, yet battling multiple prehistoric sea monsters still ranks among his more extravagant professional assignments. The sequel embraced that mismatch instead of trying to make it plausible.
Crucially, The Trench planted a sequel hook. Haiqi, the semi-domesticated Megalodon, appeared to be pregnant. One enormous shark is a crisis. A possible new generation is franchise planning with fins.
What has Ben Wheatley said about another film?
The latest public signal has not been especially encouraging. Speaking to The Direct on March 25, Ben Wheatley said he had no information about a third installment.
“I’m sure the Meg itself, it’s out there swimming,” he said. “There’s a massive, dark shadow in the sea. But I don’t know what’s going on.”
Wheatley also shared the wonderfully excessive direction he would choose if invited back: military researchers would study the shark, which would then develop legs and reach land. His proposal was clearly playful, but it fits a series that has steadily increased its creature count and reduced its interest in scientific restraint.
Jason Statham has previously described the calculation in more practical terms. “If it makes money, there’s an appetite to make more money,” he said when discussing the franchise’s continuation.
The first two films undeniably made money at the box office, but the declining domestic gross and lower worldwide total for the sequel give the studio reasons to study the numbers carefully. As of September 2, there has been no later announcement to change Wheatley’s uncertain status report.
Could Steve Alten’s books supply the next threat?
The movies come from Steve Alten’s Meg novels, a New York Times-bestselling series with far more mythology than the two adaptations have used. That gives Warner Bros. another option beyond simply adding stranger creatures to the cinematic aquarium.
A future installment could explore more of Alten’s deep-sea world, follow the Haiqi pregnancy setup or combine both approaches. The franchise does not necessarily need to put a walking shark on land, amusing as Wheatley’s pitch sounds. It already has an extensive literary foundation, a bankable action star and a proven international audience.
The harder question is scale. Another film would need enough spectacle to justify theatrical prices without allowing the budget to become its own giant predator. It would also need to address the franchise’s weakening North American performance while preserving the broad visual thrills that travel well overseas.
Still, few modern studio properties can claim nearly $928 million from only two entries. The Meg may currently be a “massive, dark shadow in the sea,” but it is a commercially significant one. Warner Bros. has not ordered another dive. The numbers, the novels and that suspiciously expectant shark are all waiting beneath the surface.
