Chinese action star Wu Jing will join the British action star Jason Statham in the much-anticipated sequel to the sci-fi giant monster horror film "The Meg."

China's CMC Pictures, the film's producer and Chinese distributor, announced Wu and Statham will co-lead the international project. It also published a photo of Wu on set with the director. 

"The Meg 2: The Trench" will be directed by Ben Wheatley, known for his stylish thrillers such as "Kill List," "High-Rise," and "Free Fire," instead of the first installment's director Jon Turteltaub. But the original cast and crew members are returning, including scriptwriters Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, and Erich Hoeber, will return to the sequel. The film is loosely based on the 1999 book "The Trench" by Steve Alten.

Also joining the cast of "The Meg 2" are returning actors Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, and Page Kennedy from the first installment besides Statham, and a new cast of renowned Hollywood actors including Skyler Samuels, Sienna Guillory, and Sergio Peris-Mencheta. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Belle Avery will produce the film, and Warner Bros. Pictures will distribute it outside China.

In 2018, "The Meg," loosely based on Alten's 1997 book "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror," also starred Chinese actress Li Bingbing to appeal to Chinese audiences and featured a ravenous prehistoric shark known as a megalodon. The Sino-American co-production went on to earn more than $530 million worldwide. In North America, it grossed $145 million, and in China, it took in 1.05 billion yuan ($166.8 million). It was seen as a big success and a milestone for an international project mainly controlled and developed by a Chinese company to win universal popularity.

In its press release on Thursday, CMC Pictures said that the development of "The Meg 2: The Trench" may also become a pivotal opportunity to promote the progress of Chinese film industrialization further and promote Chinese culture to the world.

"It can show the world the level of Chinese filmmaking and the strength of Chinese filmmakers. At the same time, this will create further exchanges and cooperation with worldwide film industries, promote the influence of Chinese films, and show the characteristics of contemporary Chinese culture as well as the mix, integration, and inclusiveness of Chinese and foreign cultures," it reads.

The press release added that China's films have prioritized fostering cultural exchanges and showing Chinese culture globally. Wu Jing, a famous actor starring in many phenomenal blockbusters, including the "Wolf Warrior" franchise, "The Battle at Lake Changjin," and "The Wandering Earth," has become a cultural symbol and gained influence internationally. 

"It is also his wish to make use of the film art, the cultural exchange form, to convey China's contemporary culture and philosophy."

"The Meg 2: The Trench" is currently filming in the U.K. and will release worldwide in 2023.

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