It’s official – Meg 2: The Trench is on its way. According to Variety, the upcoming sequel to The Meg has begun filming in the U.K., with director Ben Wheatley starting production on the highly-anticipated sci-fi action flick.

KFTV previously reported that Meg 2: The Trench was ready to begin moving forward.

It’s thought that Jason Statham will reprise his role as Jonas Taylor, a beleaguered rescue diver who encountered an 80-foot prehistoric Megalodon in the first movie. Bingbing Li is also expected to return as oceanographer Suyin.

The Meg was based on Steve Alten’s 1997 book, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, and became a box office success, earning $530 million. Not bad for a big, dumb shark movie.

Critically, the film fared a lot worse, earning just 46% at Rotten Tomatoes. IGN’s own review said, "The Meg is a big, dumb shark movie that takes itself a little too seriously, and that’s the point. Jason Statham is perfect, the shark attacks are entertainingly broad, and the supporting cast brings personality to the otherwise straightforward script.”

Although the plot for Meg 2: The Trench is currently unknown, the original novel’s author Steve Alten hinted towards a “dark and tense” tone.

Jason Statham will next return to the big screen in The Expendables 4, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. He’s also set to star in Guy Ritchie’s Orson Fortune as well as The Bee Keeper.

Meg 2: The Trench will star Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor, reprising his role from the first movie. Ben Wheatley will direct the film based on a script by Dean Georgaris, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber.

The Meg producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery will return for the sequel alongside executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

It’s official – Meg 2: The Trench is on its way. According to Variety, the upcoming sequel to The Meg has begun filming in the U.K., with director Ben Wheatley starting production on the highly-anticipated sci-fi action flick.

KFTV previously reported that Meg 2: The Trench was ready to begin moving forward.

It’s thought that Jason Statham will reprise his role as Jonas Taylor, a beleaguered rescue diver who encountered an 80-foot prehistoric Megalodon in the first movie. Bingbing Li is also expected to return as oceanographer Suyin.

The Meg was based on Steve Alten’s 1997 book, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, and became a box office success, earning $530 million. Not bad for a big, dumb shark movie.

Critically, the film fared a lot worse, earning just 46% at Rotten Tomatoes. IGN’s own review said, "The Meg is a big, dumb shark movie that takes itself a little too seriously, and that’s the point. Jason Statham is perfect, the shark attacks are entertainingly broad, and the supporting cast brings personality to the otherwise straightforward script.”

Although the plot for Meg 2: The Trench is currently unknown, the original novel’s author Steve Alten hinted towards a “dark and tense” tone.

Jason Statham will next return to the big screen in The Expendables 4, alongside Sylvester Stallone, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. He’s also set to star in Guy Ritchie’s Orson Fortune as well as The Bee Keeper.

Meg 2: The Trench will star Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor, reprising his role from the first movie. Ben Wheatley will direct the film based on a script by Dean Georgaris, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber.

The Meg producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery will return for the sequel alongside executive producer Catherine Xujun Ying.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans has just added… err… David Lynch to its cast. According to Variety, the 76-year-old filmmaker is joining the likes of Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, and Paul Dano in Spielberg’s upcoming semi-autobiographical movie.

It’s not the sort of casting news you see every day, but Lynch’s role is apparently a “closely guarded secret.”

Although the plot of The Fabelmans remains under wraps, it’s said to be a semi-autobiographical movie, loosely based on Spielberg’s own childhood, growing up in Arizona. Since it’s a very personal affair, Spielberg will also be writing its script – the first time he’s penned a movie in 20 years.

Lynch joins an already impressive cast, featuring Seth Rogan in a role based on Spielberg’s “favorite uncle” while Michelle Williams plays a character based on Spielberg’s own mother. Newcomer Gabrielle LaBelle stars as aspiring filmmaker Sammy, a stand-in for Spielberg himself, while Julia Butters portrays his sister, Anne.

The cast also includes Judd Hirsch, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley, Chloe East, Jeannie Berlin, Robin Bartlett, Jonathan Hadary, and Isabelle Kusman.

The Fabelmans marks the first-ever collaboration between Spielberg and Lynch, who has picked up a fair few acting roles throughout his career. Known for his directing work, however, Lynch has made plenty of award-winning and critically acclaimed movies, including Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, The Straight Story, and Lost Highway. He also picked up eight Oscar nominations for his 1980 historical drama, The Elephant Man.
The Fabelmans is expected to be released later this year, on November 23, 2022.

Blogroll image credit: Getty Images / Steve Granitz

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans has just added… err… David Lynch to its cast. According to Variety, the 76-year-old filmmaker is joining the likes of Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, and Paul Dano in Spielberg’s upcoming semi-autobiographical movie.

It’s not the sort of casting news you see every day, but Lynch’s role is apparently a “closely guarded secret.”

Although the plot of The Fabelmans remains under wraps, it’s said to be a semi-autobiographical movie, loosely based on Spielberg’s own childhood, growing up in Arizona. Since it’s a very personal affair, Spielberg will also be writing its script – the first time he’s penned a movie in 20 years.

Lynch joins an already impressive cast, featuring Seth Rogan in a role based on Spielberg’s “favorite uncle” while Michelle Williams plays a character based on Spielberg’s own mother. Newcomer Gabrielle LaBelle stars as aspiring filmmaker Sammy, a stand-in for Spielberg himself, while Julia Butters portrays his sister, Anne.

The cast also includes Judd Hirsch, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley, Chloe East, Jeannie Berlin, Robin Bartlett, Jonathan Hadary, and Isabelle Kusman.

The Fabelmans marks the first-ever collaboration between Spielberg and Lynch, who has picked up a fair few acting roles throughout his career. Known for his directing work, however, Lynch has made plenty of award-winning and critically acclaimed movies, including Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, The Straight Story, and Lost Highway. He also picked up eight Oscar nominations for his 1980 historical drama, The Elephant Man.
The Fabelmans is expected to be released later this year, on November 23, 2022.

Blogroll image credit: Getty Images / Steve Granitz

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Despite Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar reiterating that Hogwarts Legacy is still on track to release this year, the publisher has yet to give a firm release date on when the game is due. However, new evidence suggests the open-world Harry Potter game could be out as soon as September.

The Rowling Library, a literary website that is devoted to promoting "the life and works of J.K. Rowling," officially announced a release date for the official artbook of Hogwarts Legacy. According to the website, The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy will release on September 6. Coincidently, September 1 is "Back to Hogwarts Day," which marks the day when the fictional characters of the wizarding world return to Hogwarts.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that neither of these things confirms that Hogwarts Legacy will actually release in September. And there is always a chance that the game may get delayed into next year. Yet, we will not know for certain until Warner Bros. officially shares a firm release date for the highly anticipated title.

Hogwarts Legacy was announced in September 2020 as part of a Sony State of Play. The game was originally supposed to come out sometime last year, around January 2021, Avalanche Software announced that Hogwarts Legacy was delayed into 2022 to give "the game the time it needs."

Since the delay, not much information has come out for the game itself other than it is still on track for a 2022 release. In November, Warner Bros. General Manager Rachel Wakley said in an interview that the highly-anticipated action RPG would launch after the next Fantastic Beasts movie comes out.

One way or another, 2022 seems like the right time for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy to release, as shows like the recently-released Return to Hogwarts 20th Anniversary Special demonstrate that Harry Potter nostalgia is currently in full effect.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Despite Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar reiterating that Hogwarts Legacy is still on track to release this year, the publisher has yet to give a firm release date on when the game is due. However, new evidence suggests the open-world Harry Potter game could be out as soon as September.

The Rowling Library, a literary website that is devoted to promoting "the life and works of J.K. Rowling," officially announced a release date for the official artbook of Hogwarts Legacy. According to the website, The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy will release on September 6. Coincidently, September 1 is "Back to Hogwarts Day," which marks the day when the fictional characters of the wizarding world return to Hogwarts.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that neither of these things confirms that Hogwarts Legacy will actually release in September. And there is always a chance that the game may get delayed into next year. Yet, we will not know for certain until Warner Bros. officially shares a firm release date for the highly anticipated title.

Hogwarts Legacy was announced in September 2020 as part of a Sony State of Play. The game was originally supposed to come out sometime last year, around January 2021, Avalanche Software announced that Hogwarts Legacy was delayed into 2022 to give "the game the time it needs."

Since the delay, not much information has come out for the game itself other than it is still on track for a 2022 release. In November, Warner Bros. General Manager Rachel Wakley said in an interview that the highly-anticipated action RPG would launch after the next Fantastic Beasts movie comes out.

One way or another, 2022 seems like the right time for Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy to release, as shows like the recently-released Return to Hogwarts 20th Anniversary Special demonstrate that Harry Potter nostalgia is currently in full effect.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

If you've ever wanted to get to know the brilliant mind behind Death Stranding and the Metal Gear series, Hideo Kojima, now's your chance. The game director has started his own podcast called "Radioverse." However, you'll also need to understand the Japanese language because it's exclusive to Amazon Audible in Japan.

The podcast description on the website reads, "Each time, we welcome a variety of guests to talk about deep topics related to games and movies that cannot be heard anywhere else."

His first guest on Radioverse is a let's play Youtuber named Otsuichi, who is part of the channel 2Bro. In the debut episode, they talk about the Metal Gear franchise, Death Stranding, Kojima's aim for each of his titles.

The reviews of Radioverse have been unanimously positive so far. In the three categories of "comprehensive evaluation," "narration," and "story," the podcast has almost all five-star reviews across the board, with one four-star review.

One reviewer states that the episode was funny, saying, "I enjoyed listening to it very much! I would like to hear more behind the story of MGS production! Looking forward for next time!"

The latest project from Kojima, Death Stranding Director's Cut, was released back in September 2021 for PlayStation 5. The PC version will launch in March. In October 2020, Kojima Productions announced that it was working on a brand-new game, as well as expanding into Los Angeles back in November 2021 with a new division dedicated to movies, TV, and music.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

If you've ever wanted to get to know the brilliant mind behind Death Stranding and the Metal Gear series, Hideo Kojima, now's your chance. The game director has started his own podcast called "Radioverse." However, you'll also need to understand the Japanese language because it's exclusive to Amazon Audible in Japan.

The podcast description on the website reads, "Each time, we welcome a variety of guests to talk about deep topics related to games and movies that cannot be heard anywhere else."

His first guest on Radioverse is a let's play Youtuber named Otsuichi, who is part of the channel 2Bro. In the debut episode, they talk about the Metal Gear franchise, Death Stranding, Kojima's aim for each of his titles.

The reviews of Radioverse have been unanimously positive so far. In the three categories of "comprehensive evaluation," "narration," and "story," the podcast has almost all five-star reviews across the board, with one four-star review.

One reviewer states that the episode was funny, saying, "I enjoyed listening to it very much! I would like to hear more behind the story of MGS production! Looking forward for next time!"

The latest project from Kojima, Death Stranding Director's Cut, was released back in September 2021 for PlayStation 5. The PC version will launch in March. In October 2020, Kojima Productions announced that it was working on a brand-new game, as well as expanding into Los Angeles back in November 2021 with a new division dedicated to movies, TV, and music.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @yinyangfooey

Disney Plus will soon be getting a bit scarier (but not too scary), as a new series based on R.L. Stine's kids horror series has officially been picked up by the streamer.

As reported by Variety, the new series will following five high schoolers trying to save their own from a host of supernatural creatures. It sounds like it won't be an anthology series this time around, putting it more in line with the feature films than the original Nickelodeon television show, which ran from 1996 to 1998.

That can likely be explained by the involvement of Neal Moritz, who served as a producer on the two movies. Rob Letterman, who directed the first movie, will serve as a writer and executive producer.

The Goosebumps live-action series was first revealed back in 2020. Announced as a collaboration between Sony Pictures and Scholastic Entertainment, it now has a home. In the meantime, if you haven't seen the first Goosebumps movie starring Jack Black, it's "perfect Halloween season fun" according to IGN's review.

Disney Plus has not announced a release date for the new Goosebumps television series.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

Disney Plus will soon be getting a bit scarier (but not too scary), as a new series based on R.L. Stine's kids horror series has officially been picked up by the streamer.

As reported by Variety, the new series will following five high schoolers trying to save their own from a host of supernatural creatures. It sounds like it won't be an anthology series this time around, putting it more in line with the feature films than the original Nickelodeon television show, which ran from 1996 to 1998.

That can likely be explained by the involvement of Neal Moritz, who served as a producer on the two movies. Rob Letterman, who directed the first movie, will serve as a writer and executive producer.

The Goosebumps live-action series was first revealed back in 2020. Announced as a collaboration between Sony Pictures and Scholastic Entertainment, it now has a home. In the meantime, if you haven't seen the first Goosebumps movie starring Jack Black, it's "perfect Halloween season fun" according to IGN's review.

Disney Plus has not announced a release date for the new Goosebumps television series.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN