John Boyega Teases Pacific Rim: Uprising's New Kaijus

Pacific Rim: Uprising star John Boyega says the Pacific Rim sequel will feature Kaiju (giant monsters) who are "more intelligent," adding that the Jaegers (giant monster-fighting robots) will be "much more swift."

(Major Pacific Rim spoilers ahead.)

"As you know, Pacific Rim 1 ended with Stacker Pentecost [Idris Elba] dying, and Raleigh [Charlie Hunnam] dying as well, and they feel like they've closed the Breach, but unfortunately the enemy has grown more intelligent and has other ways of doing things, and we are met with a rogue character," Boyega told IGN, speaking on the underwater portal that connected Earth to the Anteverse, home of the Kaiju, a portal that was destroyed in Operation Pitfall. (Note: Raleigh was seen surviving the film's climax, but actor Charlie Hunnam has no involvement with the sequel.)

"I am playing Jacob Pentecost, who is kind of like the prodigal son of Stacker Pentecost," Boyega shared, noting the young Pentecost is "faced with rejoining the PPDC [Pan Pacific Defense Corps] and trying to help the fight against the Kaiju again. But it's gonna be in a different way this time."

Pacific Rim director Guillermo del Toro departed the sequel when the project changed hands during production company Legendary's sale to the Wanda Group, opting instead to shoot the upcoming fantastical love story The Shape of Water. Steven DeKnight (showrunner of Marvel and Netflix's premiere season of Daredevil) assumed the directorial reigns, but Pacific Rim: Uprising is "still heavily influenced by" del Toro, says Boyega. "But at the same time, Steven DeKnight's directing. And it's gonna be really fun. It's larger than life," he promises.

"We've got better upgrades," Boyega explains of the Jaegers, skyscraper-tall humanoid mechs created specifically to combat the Kaiju threatening the Earth. "The robots are moving much more swift. Yeah, we're like ballerinas up there, it's fantastic."

Boyega leads a cast that includes Scott Eastwood (The Fate of the Furious), Jing Tian (Kong: Skull Island), Cailee Spaeny (The Shoes), and Charlie Day (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia). Steven S. DeKnight directs from a script he co-wrote alongside Emily Carmichael, T.S. Nowlin, and Kira Snyder. Pacific Rim: Uprising was recently bumped back a month from its original February 23rd, 2018 date and will release March 23rd, 2018.

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