International Box Office Lifts Meg 2: The Trench to Huge Opening Weekend

The reviews for Ben Wheatley's sequel to The Meg may have been pretty dire, but they don't seem to be hurting the film at the international box office. Meg 2: The Trench brought Jason Statham back into action for another round of enormous shark hunting, and the early returns from around the globe have been very encouraging for the picture. Meg 2: The Trench delivered a massive opening weekend, thanks in large part to international markets.

According to Variety, Meg 2: The Trench hauled in a whopping $142 million over the course of the weekend, which is especially impressive given its reported budget is around $130 million. $112 million of that total came from markets outside North America, showing that international audiences are the ones carrying Meg 2 safely to shore.

China was the biggest market for Meg 2 this weekend, taking in a total of $53.3 million in the country. The film had a much more difficult time in North America, where it opened to just around $30 million. That mark is significantly lower than the first Meg's $45 million domestic opening.

Potential Sequel to Meg 2

The big opening weekend for Meg 2 could eventually pave the way for a third film in the shark-hunting franchise. Wheatley, who took over directing duties for the second movie, thinks there are a lot of opportunities for more stories to be told in the franchise.

"The international-ness of it is very interesting," the director told GamesRadar. "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' ... 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."

What Is Meg 2: The Trench About?

Here's the official synopsis for Meg 2: The Trench:

The film is described, "Dive into uncharted waters with Jason Statham and global action icon Wu Jing as they lead a daring research team on an exploratory dive into the deepest depths of the ocean. Their voyage spirals into chaos when a malevolent mining operation threatens their mission and forces them into a high-stakes battle for survival. Pitted against colossal Megs and relentless environmental plunderers, our heroes must outrun, outsmart, and outswim their merciless predators in a pulse-pounding race against time. Immerse yourself in the most electrifying cinematic experience of the year with Meg 2: The Trench -- where the depths of the ocean are matched only by the heights of sheer, unstoppable excitement!"

Statham and Wu Jing lead a cast that includes Sophia Cal, Page Kennedy, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Skyler Samuels, and Cliff Curtis.