Warner Bros. has discovered a surprisingly good late summer hit with Meg 2: The Trench, despite the film not exactly making a significant mark in the United States. The film, which serves as a follow-up to 2018’s The Meg, sees Jason Statham return to battle more megalodons. It has quietly grown to be a significant hit abroad, particularly in China. The movie’s worldwide gross has now surpassed $300 million after another strong weekend.

The movie is based on the 1999 release of Steve Alten’s science fiction-horror novel, The Trench. Cliff Curtis, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, and Skyler Samuels also appear alongside Jason Statham in the latest film.

Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson
Moreover, Meg 2: The Trench appears to have luckily escaped Dwayne Johnson’s nightmare fate, given that the actor formerly stated that the reason for his Black Adam‘s failure was the lack of a Chinese release.

Jason Statham’s Meg 2: The Trench Bags $105 Million in China

The series’ second installment, Meg 2: The Trench, which came out five years after the first movie, is the real test for the franchise’s long-term viability. Ben Wheatley’s latest film is on track to make a nice profit despite some dire predictions about its financial future. The film made back its entire production cost in just its first weekend of release. The Jason Statham-led sequel had a lot going for it, so its success should not come as a huge surprise.

According to The Numbers, Meg 2: The Trench already made $6.73 million in its third domestic weekend, while Blue Beetle beat out Barbie to take the top spot with a $25 million debut. More significantly, Statham starrer increased its worldwide gross by just $22 million, bringing it to $318.3 million.

Jason Statham’s Meg 2: The Trench (Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures)
In particular, Meg 2: The Trench has raked in more than $105 million in China, making it one of the few Hollywood films to do so besides Avatar: The Way of Water and Godzilla vs. Kong since the pandemic started.

China used to be a reliable source for Hollywood, but in this case, it will likely be the film’s saving grace.

Did Dwayne Johnson Attribute The Failure Of Black Adam To The China Ban?

There is no denying that Hollywood films have a sizable audience in China. To make a significant contribution to the overall box office, every notable Hollywood film targets the Chinese market.

But recently, several well-known films have been banned in China as a result of the country’s strict censorship regulations. This list also includes the films Black Adam, Shang-Chi, Eternals, as well as Black Panther 2.

Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne Johnson acknowledged on the Hart to Heart show that the Black Adam lost at least “$100-200 million” as a result of the Chinese ban. He explained that the franchise was “caught in a vortex of new leadership” in response to host Kevin Hart’s question as to why it was being discontinued.

The actor further added:
“It was so many changes in leadership. Anytime you have a company, a publicly traded company, and you have all those changes in leadership, you have people coming in who, creatively and fiscally, are going to make decisions that you may not agree with.”
Although he was still unsure of the reasons behind the character’s removal given the franchise’s popularity in the studio, he continued by saying that it was “caught in the web of new leadership”.

He argued:
“That will always be one of the biggest mysteries. You have the biggest opening of your career. Sure, no China, which could’ve been maybe 100 or 200 million more dollars. You have a superhero and you want to grow out the franchise. You bring back Superman and Henry Cavill, which the world went crazy [about]. And we created a diverse superhero portfolio, where we have just men and women of color in Black Adam.”
Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam
Black Adam, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra received mixed reviews and a global gross of $393 million but was labeled a box office bomb.

You can stream Black Adam on Max.

Source- SlashFilm; Hart to Heart