Megalodon 3: Rise of the Abyss (Vietnamese title: Cá Mập Siêu Bạo Chúa 3: Sự Trỗi Dậy Từ Vực Sâu) is the highly anticipated sequel in the popular action sci-fi franchise, scheduled for release in 2026. The film directly continues from Meg 2: The Trench (2023), where Jonas Taylor and the Mana One team faced multiple massive Megalodons and other ancient creatures from the Mariana Trench. This time, the threat escalates beyond prehistoric sharks into a larger-scale battle for survival, featuring a new “queen” Megalodon and additional ancient sea monsters.

The story picks up five years after the events of the second film. Jonas Taylor (played by Jason Statham) has semi-retired, living a peaceful life with his family and adopted daughter Meiying (Sophia Cai). He tries to build a stable family while remotely supporting the Mana One research institute in ocean monitoring. However, peace is short-lived. A massive deep-sea resource extraction company, led by ambitious billionaire Victor Hale (potentially played by an actress like Charlize Theron or similar), secretly conducts a project in the deep Pacific Ocean near Antarctica. They accidentally destroy an ancient perpetual ice layer, releasing a pod of Megalodons frozen since the Pleistocene era—the time when the species was thought to have gone completely extinct.

The leader of the pod is a gigantic female specimen over 30 meters long, dubbed “Leviathan” by scientists—the queen of the abyss. Unlike previous Megs, Leviathan has an unusual silvery-white skin (due to mutation in the icy environment), superior strength, and extremely aggressive maternal instincts to protect her offspring. It doesn’t just hunt prey but leads the pod in organized attacks on mining ships and coastal resorts. Simultaneously, the extraction project awakens other ancient creatures: a pack of Kronosaurus (giant marine reptiles with razor-sharp teeth) and even a Liopleurodon—a sea monster larger than the Megalodon.

Jonas is drawn back into the fight when Meiying joins a scientific expedition led by Jiuming Zhang (Wu Jing)—cousin of Suyin (who sacrificed herself in the previous film)—to study climate change in Antarctica. The expedition veers into a radiation-contaminated sea area from the mining project. Their research vessel is attacked by Leviathan, killing most of the crew. Jonas, alongside old allies like Mac (Cliff Curtis), DJ (Page Kennedy), and a new expert—marine biologist Elena Reyes (potentially played by someone like Dakota Johnson)—rushes to the rescue.

Their journey leads to an underwater base built by Victor Hale’s company, where illegal resource extraction is taking place. Here, the team discovers that Victor isn’t just mining resources but is attempting to use technology to control these ancient sea creatures, turning them into “biological weapons” for military purposes. Leviathan, with its superior intelligence, destroys the control system and leads the Megalodon pod along with Kronosaurus in an assault on the base.

The film is divided into three main acts:

Act 1: The Rise Introduces Jonas’s post-part-two life. Early scenes feature mysterious attacks on tourist areas in Australia and New Zealand: yachts capsized, beaches littered with shredded whale carcasses. Scientists detect signs of an even larger Megalodon via satellite and sonar. Jonas initially refuses involvement but changes his mind when Meiying goes missing.

Act 2: Antarctic Abyss Jonas’s team uses advanced submarines to dive into the icy waters. They face harsh conditions: melting ice, strong currents, and the first ancient creatures. Spectacular underwater action sequences: Jonas piloting a sub to dodge Leviathan’s massive jaws, deploying torpedo missiles against the Kronosaurus pack. The film delves deeper into environmental themes: human greed awakening the “wrath of the ocean.”

Act 3: Battle for Survival The climax unfolds at the underwater base and on the surface. Leviathan leads the pod in attacking a fleet of warships summoned by Victor to destroy it. Jonas and Elena discover Leviathan is protecting her newly born offspring, making the monster even more ferocious. Epic battles: Jonas single-handedly facing Leviathan in a mechanized diving suit (exosuit), using deep-sea mines and laser weapons. Meanwhile, Jiuming heroically sacrifices himself to detonate the base’s reactor, creating a massive explosion that sinks most of the Meg pod. However, Leviathan survives and swims back into the abyss, leaving an open ending for future installments.

The film ends with Jonas rescuing Meiying and returning to land. The ocean temporarily calms, but sonar detects a signal from another Megalodon—even larger than Leviathan—moving from the Arctic Ocean. Jonas gazes at the sea and says: “They never truly went extinct. They were just waiting.”

The movie is expected to run about 130 minutes, with a large budget allocated to top-tier CGI effects. Director Ben Wheatley returns, emphasizing Jason Statham-style action humor, combined with underwater horror and strong environmental messages about family and planetary responsibility. The main cast includes Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, Cliff Curtis, Page Kennedy, plus new international faces for broader appeal.