Jason Statham’s sci-fi action film The Meg is set to leave HBO Max in the United States on September 1, giving subscribers only a limited window to watch the blockbuster before it is removed from the streaming platform.
The 2018 film, which launched what became a two-film franchise, performed strongly at the global box office despite receiving only mixed reviews from critics. It earned nearly $530 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $178 million.
Its theatrical performance also highlighted the international appeal of Statham’s action films, with a significant portion of The Meg’s earnings coming from outside North America.
The movie generated about $145 million in North America, while China contributed approximately $153 million to its worldwide box-office total. The performance was enough to encourage the studio to move forward with a sequel.
The follow-up, Meg 2: The Trench, arrived in cinemas in 2023 and earned nearly $400 million globally. However, the sequel was released at a time when Chinese audiences had become less interested in English-language films, affecting the market conditions that had helped the first instalment perform strongly.
The departure of The Meg from HBO Max comes as Statham continues to maintain his position as one of the most recognisable stars in modern action cinema.
Veteran producer Basil Iwanyk recently discussed Statham and Gerard Butler’s unusual commercial appeal during an appearance on The Town podcast. According to Iwanyk, studios working with stars such as Statham and Butler need to look beyond domestic theatrical grosses when evaluating the profitability of their films.
He argued that both actors have developed large audiences who are particularly willing to watch their movies outside traditional theatrical releases, including through premium video-on-demand and streaming platforms.
Iwanyk suggested that even a film earning only about $15 million domestically could ultimately become profitable because of the strong demand for Statham and Butler’s movies in the home-entertainment market.
That model was illustrated by Statham’s January release, Shelter, which earned only $13 million at the domestic box office. Despite the relatively modest theatrical result, the actor continues to attract audiences across other viewing platforms.
Statham has also returned to cinemas with another action film, Mutiny, continuing his run of action-focused roles.
For viewers looking for another Statham film while The Meg remains available, the 2018 monster movie provides one of his larger recent commercial successes.
Directed by Jon Turteltaub, The Meg combines science fiction, action and creature-feature elements, with Statham leading a cast that includes Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson and Cliff Curtis.
The story centres on the threat posed by a giant prehistoric shark, giving the film its central B-movie-style premise while placing Statham in the lead role of an action-driven adventure.
Despite its commercial performance, the film received mediocre critical reviews.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Meg currently has a 47 per cent score. The site’s critical consensus describes the film as presenting the setup for a traditional B-movie creature feature but argues that it does not deliver enough of the thrills or exaggerated genre appeal expected from that type of production.
Nevertheless, the film’s box-office results demonstrated that its commercial appeal extended well beyond critical reception.
Its nearly $530 million worldwide haul was particularly notable given the $178 million reported budget. The North American market accounted for roughly $145 million, while China provided approximately $153 million.
The international performance played an important role in the decision to continue the franchise, resulting in Meg 2: The Trench five years after the original film.
The sequel again placed the giant prehistoric shark at the centre of the action and generated nearly $400 million worldwide.
However, the changing appetite for English-language movies among Chinese audiences meant the sequel did not benefit from the same Chinese-market conditions that contributed significantly to the first film’s success.
The two movies therefore became a notable franchise for Statham, combining his established action-star appeal with the large-scale spectacle of a science-fiction creature feature.
For HBO Max subscribers in the United States, however, the opportunity to watch the original film on the platform is coming to an end.
The Meg is scheduled to be removed from HBO Max on September 1.
Anyone intending to watch the film through the service will therefore need to do so before its scheduled removal date.
The film’s departure comes at a time when Statham remains active on the big screen, with Mutiny marking another recent action project for the actor.
His continued popularity also reflects the broader viewing pattern highlighted by Iwanyk, who argued that the commercial value of stars such as Statham and Butler cannot always be measured by their domestic theatrical grosses alone.
Their films can continue generating audiences after their cinema runs through premium video-on-demand and streaming services, where established fanbases can provide a substantial second life for action titles.
In the case of The Meg, its theatrical run demonstrated the potential of that audience on a global scale. Although North American earnings were comparatively modest against the film’s worldwide total, the movie’s international performance pushed it close to the $530 million mark.
That result ultimately helped establish the foundation for the sequel released in 2023.
With The Meg scheduled to leave HBO Max on September 1, viewers in the United States who have yet to see Statham’s giant-shark adventure have only a short period remaining to watch it on the service.
The film remains one of Statham’s major recent global box-office successes and the starting point of the Meg franchise, despite its mixed critical reception.
Jason Statham’s $530M sci-fi franchise starter leaving HBO Max September 1
