China’s box office king Wu Jing joins Jason Statham for 'The Meg' sequel, Li Bingbing out

Chinese star Wu Jing has been cast for the upcoming sequel to the 2018 Warner Bros. box office hit “The Meg.”

Wu, 47, will star alongside actor Jason Statham in “Meg 2: The Trench,” the second installment of the sci-fi action franchise about prehistoric sharks, reported Variety.

Dubbed China’s all-time highest-grossing male actor, Wu has played a significant role in seven movies that have earned over $100 million each in revenue, including propaganda anthologies “My People, My Country” and “My Country, My Parents” as well as the sci-fi film “The Wandering Earth.” One of his biggest hits was the $870-million blockbuster “Wolf Warrior II,” which he wrote, directed and also starred in 2017.

Wu also played the lead in the Chinese record-breaking film “The Battle at Lake Changjin” (2021) and “The Battle at Lake Changjin II” (2022). Together, the two films have so far earned over $1.4 billion at the box office.

Wu, who is also one of the stars of “Wandering Earth II,” is already preparing for “Wolf Warrior III.”

“Meg 2: The Trench,” helmed by director Ben Wheatley, reportedly started production in London in January and is scheduled to move to another location in May.

Chinese actor Li Bingbing, who played one of the leads in the first film, will reportedly not return for the sequel.

Featured Image via Well Go USA Entertainment (left), Zero Media (right)

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