The Silly Reason Guillermo del Toro Didn’t Direct Pacific Rim: Uprising — And Why He Hasn’t Watched It

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As a die-hard fan of Guillermo del Toro‘s mesmerizing cinematic universe, I find myself once again left pining for what could have been with Pacific Rim 2. The tantalizing glimpse into the mind of this visionary storyteller, who has masterfully blended horror, fantasy, and science fiction, was snatched away by a mundane issue like a late soundstage deposit. It’s almost comical to think that such an epic saga could be derailed by something as ordinary as stage rental!

Unfortunately, Guillermo del Toro’s efforts to prevent the apocalypse from occurring once more were thwarted due to an unexpected payment for a studio set – quite surprisingly.

In a commemorative screening of Pacific Rim, now streaming on Peacock, the Academy Award-winning director of The Shape of Water and Pinocchio shared reasons for not being able to helm the sequel to his robot-vs.-monster blockbuster with Collider.

Why Guillermo del Toro didn’t helm Pacific Rim 2

He remembered that he had been preparing to carry on with something distinct from the initial endeavor. However, it shared similarities with what he had been attempting. Then, as life often does, an unexpected event occurred: they needed to deposit for the stages by 5 p.m., or they would lose access to the stages in Toronto for several months. So, he warned them not to forget this, and indeed, at 5 p.m., they lost the stages. They then suggested shooting it in China instead. Laughing, he responded, “What do you mean ‘we’? I have to work on The Shape of Water.

Ultimately, Universal Pictures passed control for the sequel, titled “Pacific Rim Uprising,” to Steven S. DeKnight, known for his work as showrunner on Daredevil. In this second film, the storyline centers around Jake Pentecost (played by John Boyega, who was in Star Wars), the son of the deceased Stacker Pentecost (portrayed in the original movie by Idris Elba). Jake joins a new group of Jaeger pilots to combat some newly emerged Kaiju monsters.

For More on Pacific Rim

Guillermo del Toro discusses his intriguing concept for a “Pacific Rim” sequel that didn’t come to fruition, stating it could have explored events “beyond the rift.

In March 2018, the film “Uprising” didn’t perform as well – neither critically nor financially – compared to its previous installment. This underperformance halted plans for a third movie where humans engage the inter-dimensional Kaiju creators called Precursors. Instead, the franchise later resurfaced in the form of an anime series.

Even though he earned a producer credit for the movie “Uprising“, Guillermo del Toro chose not to watch the completed film. He explained during his conversation with Collider that it’s similar to watching home videos from an ex-spouse, which can be painful if they turn out well and distressing if they don’t. So, he didn’t see it. However, he did read the final script, and he found it quite different from what he initially expected; some aspects were familiar but significantly changed.

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What were Guillermo del Toro’s plans for the Pacific Rim sequel?

In a 2021 interview, del Toro shared an intriguing concept he had envisioned for the second film: The Precursors, it turned out, were future humans desperate to save their dying planet. Instead of tackling climate change head-on, our species prefers to create colossal monsters and send them back through time as an alternative solution.

The director clarified that their goal is to transform and recolonize Earth for survival purposes. He also pointed out an intriguing contradiction: while our space suits appeared foreign, we were in fact within the confines of Earth itself.

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2024-12-03 20:31