"The universe is made of stories, not of atoms."
—Muriel Rukeyser
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This 2023 Movie Starring Jason Statham Is Currently #1 on Max (and Is Truly Terrifying)


Looking for a new film to watch during your next movie night? Allow us to introduce an action/sci-fi movie that deserves to be at the top of your watch list: Meg 2: The Trench. Let’s just say it makes the events in Jaws look like a cakewalk.

Serving as a sequel to 2018’s The MegMeg 2: The Trench currently sits at the number one spot on Max’s top ten movies list.


In this action-packed flick, actor Jason Statham plays the role of Jonas Taylor, who leads a research team on an ocean expedition five years after the events of the first film. But their voyage soon turns into a living nightmare when they encounter a group of great white sharks and other dangerous sea creatures. Can the crew make it out alive? Or will they lose their battle for survival?


via pure wow

Jason Statham triumphs on HBO Max with the most-watched action movie starring him!


Jason Statham has accustomed us to his roles as a tough character as in titles such as The Expendables, Crank or The Transporter. Now he gives up some of the limelight in this movie available on HBO Max which is a long awaited sequel where the real stars are sharks that were thought to be extinct since the time of the dinosaurs.

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EXCERPT: Panic Attack by Dennis Palumbo

Read Excerpt Here



A shooter takes deadly aim, and throws a city into panic Psychologist Daniel Rinaldi is no stranger to trauma. A survivor of not one, but two attempts on his life by a deranged killer, the therapist also counsels trauma patients in his private practice, and contracts with the Pittsburgh Police to help victims of violent crime cope with their experience. When a sports mascot is gunned down mid-field by a sniper at a college football game he attends, Rinaldi becomes an accidental yet integral part of the investigation. To begin with, the victim in the costume is not the person who was supposed to be wearing it. 

Thiller fans, don't miss the newest Daniel Rinaldi mystery:  http://bit.ly/3q9WVh5

Kenneth Atchity's Suspense Thriller The Messiah Matrix FREE October 16 - October 20!

To what lengths would the Vatican go to suppress the secret origins of its power? ⁠
A renowned priest is killed in Rome. A Roman coin is recovered from a wreck off the coast of ancient Judea. ⁠
It’s up to a young American Jesuit priest and a vivacious, brilliant, female archaeologist to connect these seemingly disparate events and unravel the greatest mystery of all. ⁠


Literary Titan Gives Kevin Spark's id: A Novel Five Star Review!

 

id: A Novel, by Kevin Spark, is an immersive entry in the genre of psychological thrillers and creates an intricate narrative largely centered around a unique setting – a zoo. The story has a cast of diverse characters; one standout character is that of Detective Hopper.

Spark masterfully delves into the murky underworld of drug trafficking and animal fighting, providing a penetrating examination of the criminal psyche. In an intriguing twist of biblical interpretation, the novel employs the story of Adam and Eve to illuminate themes of sin and innocence, with Eve emerging untainted from the materialistic world while Adam bears the burden of a dark past. Adding an extra layer of complexity, Dr. Shelley, a psychiatrist, navigates the labyrinthine corridors of memory, thereby propelling the narrative forward.

The subtle writing style of Spark piques the reader’s curiosity by giving just enough information to imply a rich backdrop, resulting in a narrative layered with intrigue and depth. Numerous subplots dovetail seamlessly with the main narrative, enhancing the texture of the story. The characters’ pasts emerge as crucial aspects of their present lives, though their full stories remain tantalizingly veiled.

As is typical of the psychological thriller genre, the narrative occasionally veers into violent and macabre territory. The reader is invited on a disquieting journey through a landscape punctuated with dark thoughts and unsettling experiences. Scenes of action and violence are vividly portrayed in unflinching detail, laying bare the stark realities of life.

Despite the shadowy ambiance, the story is meticulously plotted. The characters are flawed, complex, and realistic, making for intriguing studies in character development, albeit sometimes evoking figures difficult to discern in everyday life.

I would heartily recommend id: A Novel to those with a keen interest in criminal psychology or the enduring impact of past traumas on one’s life. However, those of a more sensitive disposition should be forewarned: the explicit descriptions of violence, detailed exploration of psychological depths, and the characters’ darker musings may be unsettling.

id: A Novel leaves an unforgettable impact. The characters and their dilemmas infiltrate the reader’s subconscious, resurfacing in thoughts long after the final page is turned. The novel itself seems to emulate the intricacies of the subconscious mind, revealing fragments of events while preserving an air of mystery until the very end.

Pages: 332 | ASIN : B0BKH85WVM

via Literary Titan

Improve Your Storytelling!⁠

Sign Up For This Brand New Online Course From Author And Hollywood Producer Ken Atchity Designed to Improve Your Storytelling.⁠



Here's What To Expect

  • Master the Essential Building Blocks to a Successful Story.

  • Learn the Mechanics and Techniques of Storytelling.

  • How to Write a Treatment that Guides you Through your First Draft and Identifies Soft Spots in your Story.

  • Understand the Rules of Revision

  • Learn the Secrets of the 3-Act Structure.


Pay upfront or utilize our payment plan to pay as you learn!⁠⁠

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Kevin Spark's Novel id Receives Literary Titan Book Award

 

The Literary Titan Book Awards are awarded to books that have astounded and amazed us with unique writing styles, vivid worlds, complex characters, and original ideas. These books deserve extraordinary praise, and we are proud to acknowledge the hard work, dedication, and writing talent of these brilliant authors.










Dr. Shelly, a brilliant psychologist, forever haunted by her father and his murderous past, is driven by the need to find out why we do the things we do? Is the concept of free will just a concept and nothing more, a construct that blinds us to a less palatable truth, that who we are is predetermined and encoded at birth? Does anyone really choose to do the bad things we do or are we just doing what comes naturally?

Shelly constructs an experiment using a sensory darkest part of ourselves, the id, to run free.
 deprivation tank and virtual reality, allowing the Unencumbered by morality or remorse, Shelly finds the perfect subject in Adam. A borderline psychotic born into a world of neglect and crime. Delving into the deepest pits of his subconscious, Shelly surfaces with far more than she bargained for.

Detective Hopper, responsible for Adam’s capture, remains a broken man. After suffering a breakdown due to the escalation of his own violent behavior, he is placed under the care of Dr Shelly. Encouraging him to go looking for his own redemption, Hopper becomes a pawn in her web of deception until the lines of reality are redrawn as Hopper and Adam come full circle to an explosive end.

How Many More Meg Movies Jason Statham Can Make Based On The Books

Jason Statham Can Make Six More Meg Movies (At Least)



The first two Meg adapt Steve Alten's books of the same name. Here's a breakdown of how many more books the franchise can adapt in future installments.

The Meg movie series takes creative liberties with Steven Alten's book series, including changes to romantic aspects and the Megalodon's name, but stays true to the primary story developments.
The Meg movie series takes creative liberties with Steven Alten's book series, including changes to romantic aspects and the Megalodon's name, but stays true to the primary story developments.

Jason Statham's first Meg movie adapted the first book, and there are still six more books in Alten's series that could be adapted for future movies.

Despite mixed reviews, the success of Meg 2: The Trench at the box office indicates a likelihood of Meg 3 and more movies in the franchise, potentially including other novels in the same universe.

The first Meg movie adapted Steve Alten's first novel, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, which was published in 1997. Meg 2: The Trench took on the story of the second installment in Steve Allen's Meg book series. Since the second book's release in 1999, Steven Allen has written five new Meg novels: Meg: Primal Waters (2004), Meg: Hell's Aquarium (2009), Meg: Origins (2011), Meg: Nightstalkers (2016) and, Meg: Generations (2020). An eighth installment for the book series, Meg: Purgatory, is also scheduled to be released in 2024, leaving six books worth of source material content for future Meg movies.

‘Meg 2: The Trench’ Budget Breakdown: How the Film Became a Box Office Hit

Budget for Meg 2: The Trench by Department




Cast

Once again fighting off prehistoric sharks is rough and gruff monster hunter Jonas Taylor, played once again by Fast & Furious franchise star Jason Statham. Ever since his breakout roles in Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, Statham has become a power player in the action world, starring in hits like The Transporter, The Italian Job, Crank, The Expandables, Fast & Furious 6, and more. This successful career has led to Statham having a net worth of about $90 million, which is more than half of the total budget for Meg 2: The Trench. Statham was more than likely paid more than his co-stars, likely around a minimum of $20 million.

Joining Statham are some returning allies from the first film, including Shuya Sophia Cai (Somewhere Only We Know) as Meiying, Cliff Curtis (Avatar: The Way of Water) as Mac, and Page Kennedy (S.W.A.T.) as DJ. Joining the Meg universe for the sequel is major Chinses film star Jing Wu, best known for films like The Wandering Earth and Wolf Warrior. The new cast is then rounded out by Sergio Peris-Mencheta (Resident Evil: Afterlife), Skyler Samuels (The Gifted), and Melissanthi Mahut (The Other Me). For the major cast members, the final price tag is likely somewhere around $40 million.


VFX

As significant as the leading actor Jason Statham is, the undisputed star of this franchise is the titular Megalodon. This time, however, Jonas Taylor faces off against not one, not two, but three colossal Great White Megalodons (plus a giant squid). Despite being a goofy movie about big sharks, the original film's VFX team took incredible care to make an anatomically correct and visually distinct Megalodon. That task is essentially tripled in Meg 2: The Trench, though the reported budget for the sequel is actually a million dollars less than its predecessor.

Filming Locations

Believe it or not, the cast and crew of Meg 2: The Trench did not actually travel to the depths of the ocean to film the blockbuster sequel. The trench base and ocean floor sets were reportedly created at Warner Bros. Discovery's studio in Burbank. Exterior shots were also conducted in China and Thailand.


The Costs of Promoting Meg 2: The Trench

Warner Bros. Discovery had their work cut out for them when marketing Summer's most prominent film, Barbie. That's not to say that Meg 2: The Trench got wholly left out, with a marketing campaign beginning about two months before its theatrical release. The series also got positive marketing synergy thanks to Discovery's annual Shark Week event. Overall, marketing campaigns for blockbusters like Meg 2: The Trench has a minimum advertising budget of $65 million, which is not included in the production budget.


How Much Does Meg 2: The Trench Need to Make to Break Even?

The total reported budget for Meg 2: The Trench is reportedly $129 million, which is about $1 million less than what The Meg costs to make. With a budget of $129 million and a marketing budget that likely ranges from $65 million to $100 million, Meg 2: The Trench will need to make somewhere between $194 million and $229 million to break even. Meg 2: The Trench will likely need to make $388 million to $458 million at the international box office to be considered a financial success.

While Barbenheimer's unprecedented success at the box office and prevented Meg 2: The Trench's opening weekend from being a total feeding frenzy, the shark sequel still took a considerable chomp in its theatrical debut. With a domestic take of about $35 million and a massive international total of over $145 million, Meg 2: The Trench has already made back its production budget and will likely break even as early as its second theatrical weekend. As of now, the film has made $384.9 million worldwide. A great hold considering not only competing with Barbie and Oppenheimer but also the likes of the superhero film Blue Beetle and the sports biopic Gran Turismo.


How Do Meg 2: The Trench's Box Office Projections Compare to Other Summer 2023 Blockbusters?

Summer 2023 has been an unusual season for the box office. Big-budget films like The Flash, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, and Haunted Mansion became unprecedented box office bombs, potentially losing more than a billion considering their budget.

Thankfully, Barbie and Oppenheimer came in to create an incredible double feature combo, shattering records with Barbie crossing the billion-dollar milestone and Oppenheimer repeatedly extending its 70mm theatrical run. While Meg 2: The Trench probably won't catch up to that dynamic duo, it's still looking like it will be one of the more impressively profitable films of this unusual blockbuster season.



via collider