Jason Statham, Jon Turteltaub start shooting shark tale 'Meg' in New Zealand

BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Director Jon Turteltaub has begun shooting his science-fiction, action-thriller Meg -- starring Jason Statham -- in New Zealand.

The cast will also include Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, Ruby Rose, Rainn Wilson, Winston Chao and Masi Oka. The film is set for release March 2, 2018.

"A deep-sea submersible -- part of an international undersea observation program -- has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific... with its crew trapped inside," a synopsis teased. "With time running out, expert, deep-sea, rescue diver Jonas Taylor is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer, against the wishes of his daughter Suyin, to save the crew -- and the ocean itself -- from this unstoppable threat: a prehistoric, 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon."