Jason Statham to take on Meg

[:eek:]

First Photo: Statham, Li Bingbing In “Meg”

By
Garth Franklin -

Thursday, October 13th 2016 5:52 pm
http://cdn3.darkhorizons.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/first-photo-statham-li-bingbing-in-meg.jpg

Principal photography has officially gotten underway in New Zealand on the Jon Turteltaub-directed prehistoric shark sci-fi action thriller “Meg”. Jason Statham and Li Bingbing star in the film adaptation of the Steve Alten novel which is set up at Warner Bros. Pictures and Gravity Pictures.
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 (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 pre-historic 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.
Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Robert Taylor, Masi Oka, Jessica McNamee, Page Kennedy, Olafur Darri Olafsson and Sophia Shuya Cai co-star. Dean Georgaris and Jon Hoeber & Erich Hoeber penned the script while Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Belle Avery and Colin Wilson are producing.
Filming will also take place on location in China and the film is currently targeting a Chinese New Year 2018 in that country ahead of the rest of the world which will see it on March 2nd 2018. Check out the first photo below.

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[TheVileOne]

They should just retitle this as Jason Statham Punches a Giant Shark

OR

Jason Statham vs. Giant Shark.

So it looks like they are changing all the Japanese characters from the book into Chinese characters. Oh well.

 

[Reel-Man]

Hollywood doesn't know the difference...

 

[dude stannis]

It's a shame they don't, but on the other hand a Chinese woman leading a $100 million hollywood blockbuster is incredibly welcome.

Nerdy scientist or Jason Statham as a scientist made out of raw steak? I'm inclined to go the latter.

 

[Incarnadine]

They should just retitle this as Jason Statham Punches a Giant Shark

OR

Jason Statham vs. Giant Shark.

So it looks like they are changing all the Japanese characters from the book into Chinese characters. Oh well.

From a purely financial perspective catering to the Chinese market makes perfect sense. The Chinese film market is already much bigger than the Japanese market and is still growing fast while the Japanese market has been stagnant for decades.
Every year it seems more and more movies gross more in China than they do domestic, often bailing out movies that would either be break even or outright failures.

 

[Zant]

I am going to guess Jason Statham was not the first choice for this role.

 

[TheVileOne]

From a purely financial perspective catering to the Chinese market makes perfect sense. The Chinese film market is already much bigger than the Japanese market and is still growing fast while the Japanese market has been stagnant for decades.
Every year it seems more and more movies gross more in China than they do domestic, often bailing out movies that would either be break even or outright failures.

Deadpool did perfectly fine without China.

 

[Teelie]

Hollywood doesn't know the difference...

They don't. I remember the big deal about it back when Memoirs of a Geisha cast several Chinese and Korean actors in Japanese roles. Though I have to give them credit their asian characters are actually asian people now instead of yellowfaced white actors these days.

Nothing changes in a day, especially not stubborn and entrenched idealogies that pervade the Hollywood Executives level.

 

[Sithborg]

Ahh, nothing screams biologist than the turtlenecked sweater.

 

[TheVileOne]

One earlier draft of the script I read did have a subplot involving Japanese whalers that seemed like something right out of South Park with the whales and dolphins.

For Meg, I'm curious if they took out the marine biologist and paleontology aspects for Jonas. One of the big reasons I want to see the movie is how Statham is going to play like a scientist character and if he will have to say any science jargon.

 

[Teelie]

He definitely fits the Navy/military side of the character but how well he can come off as a scientist... yeah I'm curious too. Not that a scientist can't be built that way but how often do you see that? Outside of Dolph Lundgren that is.

(He has a master's in chemical engineering)

 

[Spider-Who?]

He definitely fits the Navy/military side of the character but how well he can come off as a scientist... yeah I'm curious too. Not that a scientist can't be built that way but how often do you see that? Outside of Dolph Lundgren that is.

(He has a master's in chemical engineering)

Scientists are all small and meek nerds. That's such an inaccurate cliche. If you're a scientist and are going to be out in the field, especially if you're spending much of your time on dives, you're going to be in shape. You're not going to make it, let alone surive, being an over/underweight deep sea diver.

 

[Black Narcissus]

I dont know who that chinese gal is, but I love her.

 

[Legendver2]

Scientists are all small and meek nerds. That's such an inaccurate cliche. If you're a scientist and are going to be out in the field, especially if you're spending much of your time on dives, you're going to be in shape. You're not going to make it, let alone surive, being an over/underweight deep sea diver.

Makes sense. Just watch Animal Planet or Discovery channel. All these biologists, animal experts, archaeologists, scientists, all go out in the field. And they are all more or less in shape and fit.

 

[Dugath]

I dont know who that chinese gal is, but I love her.

I think the most notable American films she has been in is Transformers AOE and Resident Evil:Retribution

 

[TheVileOne]

Scientists are all small and meek nerds. That's such an inaccurate cliche. If you're a scientist and are going to be out in the field, especially if you're spending much of your time on dives, you're going to be in shape. You're not going to make it, let alone surive, being an over/underweight deep sea diver.

But does that mean Statham can still play a convincing scientist?

Hemsworth wasn't exactly believable as a hacker in Black Hat.

 

[Muze]

Statham must have been born looking like a 40 year old man.

 

[Spider-Who?]

But does that mean Statham can still play a convincing scientist?

Hemsworth wasn't exactly believable as a hacker in Black Hat.

That question will only be answered by seeing his performance. His body type has nothing to do with it, other than looking like he can be a deep sea diver (and considering he was professional swimmer, the answer to that particular point is yes).

 

[TheVileOne]

That question will only be answered by seeing his performance. His body type has nothing to do with it, other than looking like he can be a deep sea diver (and considering he was professional swimmer, the answer to that particular point is yes).

Yeah but it's not just his look and physique. It's also how he's Jason Statham. He's not necessarily known for playing science types.

 

[Incarnadine]

Yeah but it's not just his look and physique. It's also how he's Jason Statham. He's not necessarily known for playing science types.

I agree, he doesn't "look" like the scientist type as portrayed in movies, but in real life scientists come in every possible type.

Does Dolph Lundgren look like a genius scientist type? Well, he is. He has an IQ of 160 has a degree in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. He also received a master's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney and the next year was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT.

 

[TheVileOne]

Yes yes yes, we all know Dolph Lundgren is very smart, but he's still somewhat limited in terms of his acting abilities.

It's not just the look. Can Statham have those parts of his character and can he play them convincingly in a movie?

Just saying. Denise Richards played a nuclear scientist in a James Bond movie in 1999, and no one ever forgave her for that.

 

[Teelie]

Scientists are all small and meek nerds. That's such an inaccurate cliche. If you're a scientist and are going to be out in the field, especially if you're spending much of your time on dives, you're going to be in shape. You're not going to make it, let alone surive, being an over/underweight deep sea diver.

But does that mean Statham can still play a convincing scientist?

Hemsworth wasn't exactly believable as a hacker in Black Hat.

Pretty much my point. Statham has never played what would be called "brainy" characters who use a lot of intellect. I'm not saying he is stupid or he plays dumb characters but he is better known for the shoot them or beat them kind of action than anything else.

 

[Octoberist]

He's a scientist, whose primarily focus is Kicking Ass. And Marine Biology.

 

[Roose Bolton]

It's a movie about a prehistoric shark, acting doesn't really seem like a requisite for this.

 

[Brian Braddock]

For some reason, I really cannot wait to see this.

Two ideas which need to come to reality pop into my head:-

1) there needs to be a scene like in JAWS 2 [where Brody is trying to convince the town council about the existence of the shark] only this time with Statham trying to convince some kind of skeptical board - I imagine the line delivery with the patented gravely accent - ''Don't tell me it doesn't exist - It does exist - I've ****ing seen it! It's a ****ing great big shark with ****ing teeth bigger than your wifes ****ing fat arse!''

2) they need to utilize Statham's Olympic-level diving skills and have a sequence where he dives off the top of a tanker/oil rig and narrowly avoid the sharks mouth (or knowing Statham, actually goes into the sharks mouth and somehow manages to survive or punch his way out!).

I kid, obviously but I can see this as being over the top horror but with a fair bit of humour and ridiculousness. Definitely looking forward to some updates.