When one thinks of Jason Statham the image that readily comes to mind is of the tough guy in “Transporter.” He will now be seen as a paleontologist in the up and coming movie “The Meg” which is all about a giant prehistoric white shark. This movie will be in the same genre as “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Anaconda” and will have plenty of suspense and special effects to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats.

The New Zealand Herald reports that this is a big-budget action thriller and was shot in and around Auckland for several months in 2016.

“The Meg” is the abbreviated form of megalodon.

Instead of chasing gangsters, Jason chases a shark

Jason Statham was last seen as Deckard Shaw breaking out of prison in “The Fate of the Furious” and will now be seen as Jonas Tylor, a paleontologist in “The Meg.” It is directed by Jon Turteltaub and is due to hit theatres next Thursday.

The story revolves around a giant prehistoric great white shark called a megalodon. It was discovered alive and well at the bottom of the ocean, and was a terror. Statham had to tackle the creature which, in his opinion, “was a bloodthirsty shark the size of a 727 airplane." The role he portrays in this movie is a far cry from what he is accustomed to like tackling gangsters, and mafia hitmen.

It will have to be seen how he emerges from this new role.

Much of the filming of “The Meg” was underwater and the stars had to spend a lot of time in it. Many of the action sequences were shot in a specially built giant tank located on a boat in Auckland. The actors had to rough it out and improvise in order to create the necessary atmosphere.

Ruby Rose plays the role of engineer Jaxx Herd. There is also Li Bingbing, a Chinese actress in the cast with Rainn Wilson, and Cliff Curtis.

More about The Meg

According to The Collider, the people behind “The Meg” are no newcomers. It is from Warner Bros. Pictures and Gravity Pictures and is directed by Jon Turteltaub who also directed “National Treasure.” It stars Jason Statham who is a former deep sea rescue diver.

He has to save a team of scientist trapped at the bottom of the ocean from the giant great white prehistoric shark. It should be a welcome change for viewers who have been bombarded by sci-fi Movies where robots rule the roost. Those are programmed by humans, but animals move through their own instinct. This movie will certainly appeal to those who love prehistoric animals that might have existed millions of years ago.
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