The Meg

The Meg

From Verbal Diorama by Verbal Diorama

June 11, 2026 · 46 min · Season 8 · Episode 346

About this episode

This episode discusses the absurdity and entertainment value of the film The Meg, a prehistoric shark movie that became a box office success despite its mixed reviews.

Two decades in the making, The Meg showcases the sheer absurdity of a 75-foot prehistoric shark lurking in the ocean, and this Kaijune we acknowledge that bigger is just always better when it comes to monster movies. Loosely adapted from the novel by Steve Alten, The Meg knows exactly what it is: a fun summer popcorn flick that doesn’t take itself too seriously, delivering PG-13 thrills as the titular Meg terrorises various humans. It emerged as a crowd-pleaser, grossing over half a billion dollars worldwide despite mixed reviews. But there were many false starts for this movie since it was greenlit in the late 90s and the release of Deep Blue Sea in 1999 led to the movie being shelved - the only time Hollywood didn't want a twin films situation! It would languish in development hell, until a partnership with China's Gravity Pictures gave the movie much needed financing, as well as setting the movie off the coast of China. The Meg cleverly invokes nostalgia for classic shark films like Jaws , while carving its own niche as a light-hearted, action-packed adventure that ultimately celebrates the ridiculousness of its premise. It's about the thrill of the chase, the bond of unlikely…

People in this episode

Host: Verbal Diorama

Topics covered

  • monster movies
  • shark films
  • film history
  • action-adventure
  • nostalgia

Keywords

  • The Meg
  • prehistoric shark
  • monster movies
  • Deep Blue Sea
  • development hell
  • action-packed adventure
  • summer popcorn flick

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Gravity Pictures, Hollywood

Books & works: The Meg, Jaws

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