'The Meg' Has Passed 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' at the Box Office

If someone would have told you a couple of years ago that a Star Wars movie about Young Han Solo, one of the most popular movie characters of all time, was going to get beaten at the box office by a flick about Jason Statham fighting off a prehistoric shark, would you have believed them?

No, probably not, but this is 2018 and the rules don't really apply anymore. That hypothetical box office scenario has actually played out in real life. The Meg took a massive bite out of the August box office, and Solo: A Star Wars Story became a glowing franchise's most notorious flop.

According to Box Office Mojo, The Meg has now earned a total of $411.5 million at the global box office. Roughly 75 percent of that total ($306.5 million) came from international markets. This is where The Meg really shined. So far, the film has earned just over $105 million in North America.

If you look at the domestic numbers alone, Solo has more than doubled The Meg's total. The latest Star Wars adventure has earned $213.5 million here in North America, which is a solid haul, though nowhere near the franchise's other films. However, the international market is where Solo took a massive hit. The film snagged a measly $179 million in other countries, bringing its global total to $392 million.

That still may seem like a lot, but let's compare it to another Star Wars film, 2017's The Last Jedi. The eighth chapter of the Skywalker Saga earned $602 million in North America alone. That's roughly triple Solo's entire global haul. When you add in the $712 million that The Last Jedi made overseas, the $1.3 billion total really reflects just how poorly Solo performed.

These numbers also prove just how much of a success The Meg has been to this point. August is normally a slow month for movies, but this shark thriller has more than tripled its production budget in the 16 days since its release. It wouldn't be even remotely surprising to see a sequel announced in the very near future.

Unfortunately, a sequel to Solo seems far less likely.

Which movie did you enjoy more: The Meg or Solo: A Star Wars Story? Let us know by dropping a line in the comments below!