The Summer Blockbuster That Beat Indiana Jones And The Flash Is A Total Shocker
Six months ago, everybody would have thought that The Flash and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny would have cleaned up at the box office, but according to Yahoo! Entertainment, both of these films were no match for Meg 2: The Trench.
This Jason Statham starring sequel has dominated the box office, and certainly surprised everybody with its $30 million opening weekend, and may very well surpass the box office earnings of its predecessor, The Meg, which earned a total of $530.2 worldwide after its 2018 release. As of September 18, Meg 2: The Trench has pulled in $390.7 million against its reported $139 million budget, and there’s no telling how much more it will earn before it concludes its theatrical run.
There are a few different reasons why Meg 2: The Trench is performing so well at the box office. Sources speculate that one reason that this film is feasting on such great numbers is that it has been available to purchase on-demand since August 25, allowing viewers to watch the film from the comfort of their homes. Sharks tend to swarm toward buckets of chum, and for the home viewer, the chum comes in the form of convenience.
Meg 2: The Trench has pulled in $390.7 million against its reported $139 million budget, and there’s no telling how much more it will earn before it concludes its theatrical run.
Another factor to consider is the fact that Meg 2: The Trench is a relatively new franchise. While the latest Indiana Jones film evokes feelings of nostalgia, it’s not necessarily offering anything new. Rather, it’s paying lip service to the Indiana Jones films of the past in a way that can expose a younger audience to the legendary franchise, but leaves a lot to be desired for longtime fans who grew up watching Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The Flash, while a highly ambitious film in its own right, underperformed for a number of reasons, including the controversies surrounding Ezra Miller, lackluster visual effects in the third act, and an overall sense of superhero fatigue that caused the DCEU property to become one of the biggest box office flops of all time.
While the latest Indiana Jones film evokes feelings of nostalgia, it’s not necessarily offering anything new.
To date, Dial of Destiny has earned $382.7 million, and The Flash has earned $268.5 million. Considering that both of these films came out in June, and Meg 2: The Trench saw an August 4 release, it’s safe to say that Meg 2 is making waves, and could very well be the next billion dollar franchise. Steve Alten, the author of the novel that the Jason Statham film is based on, stated that “Warner Bros. has nailed it completely.”
Though Meg 2: The Trench has garnered a 28 percent critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, the 73 percent audience score is telling. One reviewer put it perfectly when they said that Meg 2 is “unembarrassed about its own absurdity,” and succeeds in delivering an over-the-top action film that satisfies the viewer’s taste buds like a bucket of blood dumped into shark-infested waters.
The Flash likely underperformed for a number of reasons, including the controversies surrounding Ezra Miller, lackluster visual effects in the third act, and an overall sense of superhero fatigue
In just under two hours, Meg 2: The Trench presents massive apex predators wreaking havoc underwater, illegal mining operations, and even a giant octopus taking down a helicopter. As ridiculous as its premise sounds, Meg 2 doesn’t come off as heavy-handed like its contemporaries, and simply delivers an onslaught of action with a tight 116 minute run-time.
While it seems like the DCEU has jumped the shark, Meg 2: The Trench is shooting it, and only time will tell if we’ll see more installments of a franchise that clearly works in the coming years.
