Pacific Rim writer/director Guillermo del Toro announced today that a second film in the franchise was on the way, joined by all the trappings of a successful big-budget franchise film.
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“From now until April 2017, we’re going to develop a new animated series for Pacific Rim,” del Toro said in a video announcement embedded below. “Continue comic book series that we started with Year Zero and most importantly, creating a sequel for the film. I’m working on this with Zak Penn and Travis Beacham and we’re happy to be bringing you more kaiju and more Jaegers, kicking each others’ butt.”
Last summer’s sci-fi/action epic grossed barely $100 million on a budget of around $190 million domestically — but it made more than $300 million overseas, turning it into a respectable global success for Legendary Pictures and their then distribution partner Warner Bros.
The second film, still produced by Legendary, directed by del Toro and co-written by del Toro and Zak Penn, will be released through Universal Pictures, Legendary’s new partner of choice.
Del Toro, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent and Callum Greene are producing, with Jillian Share as executive producer. The first film starred Charlie Hunnam and Idris Elba as pilots of Jaegers — massive robots that battled kaiju over sea and land.
Universal has tentatively scheduled the film, which will be released in 3D, for April 7, 2017.
You can check out our exclusive interview with Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero and Pacific Rim writer Travis Beacham here, where he discusses the possibility of returning to the world of Pacific Rim for more comics.
