Cailee Spaeny Lands Female Lead in Pacific Rim 2

According to Variety, singer/songwriter/actress Cailee Spaeny has been cast as the female lead in Pacific Rim: Maelstrom, the sequel to Guillermo del Toro's 2013 film about humans in giant robots fighting giant inter-dimensional monsters.

No character details were provided on who Spaeny will be playing. Spaeny is mostly known for her musical work, but did appear earlier this year in the short film Counting to 1000.

The film goes into production this November and film in Australia and China.

Pacific Rim 2 is being directed by Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus, Marvel's Daredevil) and written by Emily Carmichael and Kira Snyder.

As for the cast, Star Wars: The Force Awakens' John Boyega is the only actor that has been officially cast, so far, in the sequel, and he is playing the son of the late Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba). In June, it was reported that Scott Eastwood (Suicide Squad) was being considered for a lead role, and now Variety is saying he is part of the cast. And in July, Charlie Hunnam (Green Street Hooligans), the star of the first film, revealed that he won't be able to reprise the heroic role of Raleigh Becket because of a scheduling conflict.

The film is being produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni, and Guillermo del Toro, as well as Boyega and Femi Oguns under their Upper Room Productions shingle. Cale Boyter will serve as the film's executive producer.

Pacific Rim 2 will hit theaters on February 23, 2018.