Ruby Rose is joining Jason Statham on NZ-shot sci-fi film Meg

Ruby Rose will join Jason Statham on NZ-shot sci-fi shark film Meg. Photo/Getty

Orange is the New Black star Ruby Rose is heading to New Zealand to shoot a shark film starring action giant Jason Statham.

Rose, 30, has joined the cast of Meg, a sci-fi film based on Steve Alten's 1997 novel Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror that is underway in Auckland.

The film is about a giant prehistoric shark that attacks an international underwater observation program.

Variety reported Rose would play Rose "an engineering genius and a member of the marine research team" alongside Statham, "a former Naval captain and expert deep-sea diver"

Meg is due for a 2018 release and is directed by Jon Turtletaub. Chinese actress Fan Bingbing co-stars alongside Statham and Rose, and filming will also take place in China, Variety reports.

Rose began her career as an MTV presenter and dance DJ but has scored several major TV and film roles, including two seasons on Netflix hit Orange is the New Black.

She has three films due for release in 2017: XXX: Return of Xander Cage, John Wick: Chapter Two and Meg.