Meg 2 blows Oppenheimer out of the water in impressive box office debut

Jason Statham as Jonas in Meg 2: The Trench
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Turns out, Meg 2: The Trench is just as concerned with big box office takings as it is big sharks. Despite negative reviews and a limited press tour due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, the sci-fi action sequel officially beat out Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer for the number two spot during its opening weekend, taking $30 million in the US, as opposed to the acclaimed historical epic's $28.7 million. 

Internationally, Meg 2 fared even better, pulling in $142 million. Its predecessor, The Meg, made over $530.2 million worldwide but given Barbie and Oppenheimer's current domination of global cinemas, the follow-up's estimations were expectedly lower. In a surprising turn of events, though, Meg 2 opened above the first film's initial $101.5 million. Its success overseas is likely due in part to its diverse cast, with Jason Statham sharing the screen with one of China's most profitable stars Wu Jing. 

Taking inspiration from Steve Alten's 1999 novel, Meg 2, which was directed by Ben Wheatley, sees Statham's eco-warrior Jonas Taylor pull together a team of scientists to investigate some strange goings-on in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench. During the mission, they stumble across a mysterious underwater station, which leads to the team uncovering an illegal mining operation. 

In their attempt to stop it, they rumble a trio of prehistoric Megalodons, bigger than the ones seen in the previous movie, though – and they're not the only huge creatures joining in on the fun this time around, either.

When asked about the possibility of a Meg 3 back in July, Wheatley told Total Film: "I hope so. There's a lot more to explore in that world. It's very rich. The international-ness of it is very interesting."

"What's so smart about the first film is that it's not Rush Hour. It's not East-meets-West, 'Oh, we're all confused about each other,'" Wheatley, who took over directing duties from the original's helmer Jon Turteltaub, continued. "It's just people working together, and being in an everyday adventure, and the people just happen to come from places all over the world. I think that's good for audiences, and it's a good message as well."

Meg 2: The Trench is in cinemas now. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies heading our way throughout 2023 and beyond.

Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.

Read more
Ne Zha 2
After dethroning The Force Awakens, the surprise animated hit taking the box office by storm could claim a record from James Cameron next
Anthony Mackie in Captain America: Brave New World
Brave New World box office crosses milestone for Captain America movies, even though it still might not break even
Ne Zha 2
An animated movie you've probably never heard of is on track to break the two billion mark at the box office
Ne Zha 2
After 10 years, a new animated movie has beaten a box office record set by Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State
The Russo Brothers' $320 million movie has already been overtaken in Netflix's Top 10
Harrison Ford as Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World
Despite one of the MCU's lowest Rotten Tomatoes scores, Captain America: Brave New World has a massive opening weekend, already making back its reported production budget
Latest in Sci-Fi Movies
John Boyega in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
John Boyega was tired of "doing a lot of falling" in the Star Wars sequels, so asked director J.J. Abrams for a "level of growth" between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars fans have ignited an age-old debate, and there are some seriously hot takes
Sam Worthington in Avatar: The Way of Water
James Cameron's early cut of Avatar 3 is "absolutely breathtaking," according to Disney CEO Bob Iger
Pacific Rim
The 35 greatest 2010s sci-fi movies
Godzilla emerging from an exploding volcano.
Win a Blu-ray of Godzilla vs Biollante
The Mandalorian and Grogu
The Mandalorian and Grogu has the lowest budget of any theatrical Star Wars movie since Disney bought Lucasfilm
Latest in News
Pillars of Eternity
10 years later, in a post-Baldur's Gate 3 and Avowed world, Obsidian is giving its own throwback CRPG Pillars of Eternity a turn-based combat mode
Destiny 2 Lightfall
When Destiny 2 "weekly active users dropped lower and faster than we'd seen since 2018," Bungie assembled an A-Team to put out some fires: "We needed to do something"
Velma, Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo looking at a giant key which is also a clue
Netflix is rebooting Scooby-Doo as a live-action series from the producer of Supergirl and The Flash centered around a "supernatural murder" at a summer camp
Astro Bot
Astro Bot went through 23 pitch iterations before its director promised PlayStation "happy gameplay" and "overflowing charm," though it did once end with robot decapitation that made "some people really upset"
Tomb Raider
5 years after Avengers, 2 years after its last layoffs, and who knows how long before Perfect Dark and Tomb Raider return, Crystal Dynamics announces another round of layoffs
AI Limit
"AI is not as effective as it might appear": Dev of AI-focused Soulslike RPG says they didn't use any AI-generated content and it can't match "genuine creativity"