SciFiNow-August2018

W W W.SCI FI N OW.CO.U K |^041

team had to create the look for a long-extinct
monster. “We spent too much time analysing,
changing, redesigning and imagining what
this Megalodon should look like,” he admits.
“We read as much as we could, not just about
sharks but about prehistoric sharks and other
prehistoric fi sh. Because this Megalodon was
living in the deepest parts of the ocean we
also wanted to understand what all deep-sea
fi sh, particularly deep-sea sharks, were like.”
The design process ended up taking a year
before they had something everyone was
happy with. “My only rule was that I didn’t
want it to look like we’d just kept hitting
the ‘enlarge’ button on some footage of a
Great White Shark,” Turteltaub says. “Great
White Sharks are scary, it might have been
a good idea to do that. When an audience
sees a Great White they’re instantly afraid.
However, that would be a cheap and cheesy
way of doing it. I wanted to create an animal
unto itself and so we just kept working it way
beyond the time when we should have been,
but I think it paid off, and I think it’s a pretty
scary, realistic-looking guy.”
Obviously, we don’t have any photos lying
around of real megalodons. But plenty of
archaeological evidence still exists, and some
cast members had surprisingly personal
attachments to the prehistoric beasts. Rainn
Wilson’s son has a megalodon tooth that
was gifted to him by his grandmother, while

Ruby Rose “was obsessed with megalodons

and dinosaurs because I couldn’t fathom

their size” when she was a kid, and used to

do school presentations on them at every

given opportunity.

Where possible, The Meg provides

accurate information on “prehistoric sharks

and most of all what kind of sea critters

exist in the deepest parts of our ocean,” says

Turteltaub. Appreciating the delicate balance

of marine life has been at the forefront of

the public consciousness lately (thanks, Sir

David Attenborough), and the fi lm touches

on that too. Li Bingbing, recognised by the

World Wildlife Fund as the most ‘infl uential

global ambassador’ for environment

KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE... The defi nitive scale of terrifying sharks

causes, says that the fi lm will help viewers

“understand how amazing nature truly is,

and that we should all respect nature”.

But let’s not lose sight of the giant

prehistoric shark chomping down on tourists,

shall we? “[I]t’s Jaws for the new generation,”

Masi Oka says. “I’m really excited to be a

part of this movie, to scare and have a new

generation enjoy a shark movie that they

can really call their own.” At the end of the

day, this is a fun action movie that pits Jason

Statham against a really big shark. And if

you’re not on board for that, then frankly we

don’t know how we can help you.

The Meg is released in cinemas on 10 August.

SHARKY

and George,

crimebusters

of the sea

BRUCE

“Fish are

friends, not

food”

SHARKNADO

SHARKS

In space no-one

can hear you

scream

LENNY

Shark Tale’s

resident

veggie

KING

SHARK

It’s a shark

with legs,

people

JAWS

Duhhhh dum

10/10,

WOULD

PET

SOME

WARINESS

REQUIRED

DO NOT

TOUCH

SORRY,

YOU’RE

ALREADY

DEAD

The cast credits

Statham as a leader.