Jason Statham To Battle A Giant Shark In Meg

A big budget movie about a 60 foot prehistoric shark wreaking havoc in the present day already sounds like an easy sell. Add Jason Statham to the mix, and you can practically smell the money already.

The British action star has signed on for the male lead in ‘Meg,’ the long in-development adaptation of the 1997 novel by Steve Alten, which is being brought to the screen by Warner Bros.

Eli Roth (’Cabin Fever,’ ‘Hostel’) had initially been set to direct, but has since stepped down. Jon Turtelraub (’National Treasure,’ ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’) will now direct from a screnplay by Dean Gregaris.

While Statham’s character has not been confirmed, it seems likely he has been cast as Jonas Taylor, a deep sea diver and paleontologist who discovers the existence of the titular beast, a Megaladon (a massive ancestor of the Great White shark).

As the sole survivor of a close encounter with the mighty predator, Taylor’s superiors think he’s gone mad when he tells them of the creature’s existence. But when he is proven correct and people start dying, he launches on a personal mission to stop the shark.

While Alten’s novel was set on the California coast, the movie will be set and shot in China (where it has also been partially financed).

The novel made the New York Times bestseller list in 1997, and Alten has since written a series of sequels - meaning this could feasibly be a franchise-launching movie.

‘Meg’ is expected at some point in 2017; no release dates confirmed yet.

Picture Credit: WENN, Bantam Books

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