We Attended The Meg Trailer Release Event and It’s Huge
Staci Layne Wilson
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Last week a group of select genre journalists were treated to a sneak peek—and a preview splash—of The Meg, the long-waited shark attack horror-adventure starring Jason Statham.
We got the full treatment, thanks to 4DX –a so-called “new” technology which would make William Castle proud. 4DX is the ultimate in state-of-the-art equipment, delivering a fully immersive cinematic experience. Our chairs shook and bounced, and we were slapped with environmental effects including a sea-breeze and wet waves as the onscreen shark emerged from the ocean’s depths.
The trailer starts with the obligatory scary music. There’s a small girl checking out marine exhibits at a museum and then—yikes!—she comes face-to-face with The Meg. Only a thin layer of glass separates the child from certain death. Cut to a character explaining, “It was the largest shark that ever existed. It’s been thought to have been extinct for over 20 million years.” Wrong! Then our hero Statham appears, all sneer and muscle. “My god!” he exclaims. “It’s a Megalodon!”
Cue the music, which is Bobby Darin’s jaunty lounge staple from the 60s, “Beyond the Sea.” We get another glimpse of the menacing Meg, and then there’s a Shark Week joke. Yep, you can bet The Meg is not going to be taking itself too seriously. Think: Piranha rather than Jaws. Lastly, we see what is (probably) a failed attempt by Statham to stave off the hungry predator. He throws explosives into the open maw of the creature, shouting, “Chew on this, you ugly…” At just over 2 minutes long, the trailer is only a tease, but it does show the size of the shark and promises to be a fun summer splurge.
Steve Alten, author of the novel upon with The Meg is based, has also seen the trailer for the upcoming flick. Posting on social media, he confirms that the preview is “excellent.” Alten’s first book about the massive Megalodon shark who imperils divers and scientists was published in 1997 and titled Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror. The book was so well-received it generated an ongoing bestseller franchise, with the sixth novel due out later this month.
There’s fandom built around the books—they call themselves “Meg-Heads”—and new sightings of the extinct baddie are being reported around the globe. Check out the latest Meg-fueled rumors. (Even Freddy Krueger chimes in!)
So, it’s safe to say that sharks are as popular in pop culture as ever. Mankind has been chum in the theater for these toothy terrors for decades now. We all know Steven Spielberg’s granddaddy-of’em-all shark opus Jaws spawned a longform trend. Just recently we’ve taken the plunge for Open Water 3: Cage Dive, Deep Blue Sea 2, Sharknado 5: Global Swarming, The Shallows, and 47 Meters Down.
Are you getting seasick, or will you see The Meg? Tell us!
“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 prehistoric 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.”
Directed by Jon Turteltaub, The Meg stars action hero Jason Statham and award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing, featuring Rainn Wilson (“The Office”), Ruby Rose (“Orange Is the New Black”), Cliff Curtis (“Fear the Walking Dead”), and Masi Oka (“Hawaii Five-0”).
Categorized:News
