The summer box office can be a real feeding frenzy, as all it takes are a couple of apex predators to score some true upsets. In a summer where Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and The Flash tried their best to cash in on nostalgia, both titles found themselves falling vastly short of where they’d aimed to be. Meanwhile, some surprises made the cinematic waters all the more exciting. That was the case with Meg 2: The Trench, which has become a surprise box office success story from the 2023 new movie release schedule.
As September 15 - 17’s box office numbers (which saw The Nun II winning again) are still being analyzed with a shark tooth comb, Deadline reported an interesting detail. The numbers show that director Ben Wheatley’s sequel has bested quite a few heavy hitters in total worldwide grosses. In fact, it’s even dethroned some movies that had a lot of heat in the earlier box office seasons, like Michael B. Jordan’s Creed III.
Here’s where Meg 2 stands in terms of those titles mentioned, according to Box Office Mojo:
- Meg 2: The Trench - $390.2 mil.
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - $382.7 mil.
- The Flash - $268.5 mil.
- Creed III - $275.2 mil.
Taking into consideration that Meg 2: The Trench only opened in the domestic market on August 4th, this showing seems to indicate that the Jason Statham-led franchise has found its sea legs. With a solid $30 million opening weekend, this latest round of prehistoric power made quite an impression, even in the final throes of Barbie and Oppenheimer's commanding summer campaign.
What makes this even more interesting is the fact that in the US, the sea-based sequel is currently available for PVOD rental. That could be another factor that’s helping to keep this picture afloat, as ease of access at home may have convinced a sizable number of viewers to take this ride after all.
Whatever this movie is doing, it’s doing it right, as the estimated $129-139 million production budget is well passed at this point. At the same time though, we can’t know how profitable the overall this title is, as other factors like marketing are not as easily accessed by the public.
Ultimately, Warner Bros. might be keeping its eye on whether or not this fighting-fish tale eclipses The Meg’s $529.3 million worldwide gross. It’s definitely something to keep in mind as we enter the Halloween season, which might offer another boost of interest for those looking for creepy titles to view.
For now, you can catch Meg 2: The Trench in theaters and on PVOD. And if you're looking to swim with the previous installment, it's currently streaming for those with a Max subscription. That streamer also just so happens to be the presumed future home of its more current cinematic sibling. This beast is not only successful, it's also convenient!
