After nearly twenty contentious years in development purgatory, many had understandably written off the movie adaptation of Meg — a seemingly surefire knockout centered around a giant prehistoric shark. The Meg book series, written by Steve Alten, follows the shark-centric misadventures of deep sea diver Jonas Taylor — amassing brilliantly ridiculous taglines such as "Say hello to the great-grandmother of Jaws...Now say goodbye." Pop poetry, really.
After a previously announced film adaptation was called off by New Line Cinema, rights reverted back to Alten — who seems to have the project back on the fast track to fruition. According toVariety, Eli Roth is deep in talks with Warner Bros. regarding a seat in the director's chair for Meg — with all signs currently pointing firmly toward a resounding 'yes' for all parties. Though the novel positions the sharks's initial havoc on the coast of California, Roth's film will shift that terror to the coast of China.
Sharknado ridiculousness aside, there is much to gain from a clever and expertly crafted shark film — preferably with a dash of the frugal ingenuity of Steven Spielberg's original Jaws. For a current taste of the Roth cinematic touch, try the Keanu Reeves-starring Knock Knock — the Death Game-nodding exploration of the consequences of a threesome.
