Meg 2: The Trench Trailer: Jason Statham Goes Shark Hunting Once Again

Meg 2: The Trench just got a trailer — in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Following a private, early look at CinemaCon, Warner Bros. has now dropped the action-packed trailer, which sees Jason Statham reprising his role as rescue diver Jonas Taylor, facing off against the massively murderous megalodon and a bunch of other prehistoric sea creatures. Ben Wheatley (Rebecca) directs the sequel, which is based on the 1999 thriller novel ‘The Trench’ by Steve Alten. Meg 2: The Trench releases August 4 in theatres.

The trailer for Meg 2: The Trench opens with a close-up look at the prehistoric food chain, which one would naturally expect to end with the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex having the last laugh. But the reptile seems to have run out of luck this time, as he is soon devoured by a megalodon – the bigger, hungrier sea monster asserting its dominance in the ecosystem. “Jonas, we need your help,” James ‘Mac’ Mackreides (Cliff Curtis) explains. “We’re detecting increased aquatic activity 25,000 feet deep in the trench. It’s an ancient ecosystem untouched by man.” For the uninitiated, 2018’s The Meg saw Jonas (Statham) discovering that a pack of megalodons — long thought to have been extinct — still thrives in a section of the Mariana Trench. The sequel appears to be exploring the depths further and seeing what other odd beasts lurk within.

The Meg 2: The Trench trailer then cuts to an underwater segment, with our heroes heading out to explore the ocean bed in armoured suits. The scene plays quite similar to Alex Garland’s Annihilation, with the team carrying around firearms and moving in specific patterns to thwart the giant shark. It’s soon revealed that the Meg isn’t the only thing Jonas’ team needs to be worried about, as we see a member getting stalked and attacked by a giant octopus. “Jonas, we’ve got company,” Chinese star Wu Jing warns our heroes about a swarm of prehistoric sharks — one of them being described as the biggest megalodon they’d ever seen. The trailer soon takes us back onto the surface, stressing that three massive megs had escaped the breach and were headed towards the beach shoreline.

Jonas and the team take it upon themselves to protect the lives of the innocents, as we’re treated to visuals of the megs chomping down the boardwalk. The Meg 2: The Trench trailer also leans toward some predictable comedy for a bit — such as a ‘meg-proof’ glass tank being rendered useless and tourists trying to escape via paddle boats to no avail. It’s not just the megs that have made it closer to the surface, but some other sea creatures as well, including a giant tentacled one, which is seen hurling a chopper into the waters. The whole affair screams unbridled mayhem, with over-the-top action sequences such as Statham trying to harpoon one of the megalodons while riding a strong wave; all of this is as bonkers as it sounds. The film also stars Sienna Guillory (Clifford the Big Red Dog) and Shuya Sophia Cai as the returning character Meiying.

Meg 2: The Trench releases August 4 in theatres.