The Meg trailer: TERRIFYING shark faces Jason Statham in action-packed horror (WATCH)

Action hero Statham plays opposite Li Bingbing and Ruby Rose in the new horror, which features the pre-historic Megalodon as its beast-in-chief.

It opens when a deep-sea sub is attacked by the massive creature, previously thought to be extinct; and stranded with its crew trapped inside.

Deep-sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) comes to the rescue, and is tasked with saving the ocean from the seemingly unstoppable beast.

The trailer shows it stalking a popular coastline, scaring a paddling pooch and seriously threatening the safety of surfers.

In a movie bound to have a high body count, will The Meg end happily for Statham’s character and his team?

Also featuring Rainn Wilson, Winston Chao, Page Kennedy and Jessica McNamee, The Meg is directed by Jon Turteltaub – who previously helmed the National Treasure films.

By all accounts a good old-fashioned beast movie, The Meg is perfectly timed for moviegoers’ summer holidays – and will be out on August 10.

Statham recently said in an interview that he went swimming with real sharks to prepare for his role – which didn’t scare him at all.

He told Entertainment Weekly: “You know, it’s funny, because you get anxiety when you’re on the boat. But once you get in the ocean, things take a very different turn.

“You get very relaxed, and when you’re in their environment, it’s quite a tranquil sort of thing, the anxiety goes away completely.

“It’s remarkable to experience. All of the fear — or the perceived fear — is done in your own head before you get down there with them. Once you’re swimming down there with all the other divers, it’s phenomenal.”

He added: “It’s one of the greatest experiences you could have, for me anyway. I’m a big SCUBA diver fanatic.

“Wherever I am in the world, if I get a chance to get in the ocean, I do.”

The Meg is out on August 10.