The Steve Alten novel “Meg” is about a humungous prehistoric shark (the fourth book in his Meg series, Meg 4: Hell’s Aquarium is being written now).
For nearly ten years the first book has been in development for a big screen film adaptation and it looked like 2007 would be the year it finally got off the ground and into full-scale production. However, the gods of moviemaking have stalled its shooting for at least another two years.
New Line Cinema acquired the rights to the book early in 2006. They budgeted the flick at around $75 million, but after getting word that the CGI work alone could run them nearly $70 million, and with the new estimated total budget at double that, the company put the skids on the project.
New Line still has plans on releasing the film, but only after they can get a better hold on the cost. Currently the film’s schedule has been moved back to either 2008 or 2009.
Director Jan De Bont, who was attached to the project at New Line, told Variety that the film has been placed in a holding pattern until a few of the other production company’s films such as, “Inkheart”, “Rush Hour 3” and “The Golden Compass” see the light of day. “But I have no doubt Meg will swim,” De Bont said.
If and when this film does finally make it to theatrical release, and if it stays true to Alten’s novels, it will make the shark in “Jaws” look like a guppy and will most likely spawn several sequels as the first Jaws franchise did for Spielberg and company. Stay with Slice of SciFi for future updates.
Whoa, wait, Meg 4? Um, I thought there were only 2. Meg and Meg Primal Waters (which did not have a number on the cover). Where the hell is third one? I’ve not read this series but my grandmother loved the first book.
Here are Alten’s Meg Novels in the order they were written:
1. Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror
2. Meg: The Trench
3. Meg: Primal Waters
Number 4 -Meg: Hell’s Aquarium is not yet completed and Alten wants to hold off on its release until the first Meg movie is finally completed and in theaters.
Wow. I’m with Brian #1. I thought there was only 2 and I was surpised they did a second. Hm, I guess I will scour the used bookstores for the third.
Sam: is he really holding off on book #4 until the movie is finished? That’s brilliant! He’s holding the book hostage! So anyone who wants to read it will have to tell New Line to get their butts into gear.
I read and tremendously enjoyed all 3 sci-fi books on the now extinct prehistoric-jurassic MEG. Cannot wait for book #4, HELL’s AQUARIUM.
I hope that Steve Alten’s new MEG movie will not spark a new francy like the first Steven Spielberg’s “JAWS” did in the mid-1970’s, when hundred of thousand of great whites were killed needlessly by trophy hunters, simply to prove their machismo/manhood.
Our oceans are being depleted in great number of the few remaining sharks today, where their dorsal fins are cut off and sold to restaurants to make shark fin soup, and the still living sharks are thrown back into the water to drown, unable to swim.
To set the record straight:
1. MEG: Hell’s Aquarium will be marketed to publishers in September with a desired summer 2008 pub date. I am NOT holding it back.
2. MEG is all but dead at New Line.
3. Book order: Meg, The TRENCH, Meg: Primal Waters, then Hell’s Aquarium. (the last will be the best!)
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Cheers!
Steve Alten