Pacific Rim 2: Expectations for Guillermo del Toro’s Sequel

pacific rim

Pacific Rim, the pet project of Guillermo del Toro , released this past summer, has already been green lit for a sequel, despite only breaking even at the box office. Although the film cost $190 million to make and grossed about $400 million worldwide, including both domestic and foreign markets, half of the profit goes to advertising and another portion to the theaters. But in the game that is Hollywood, this means that audiences enjoyed it enough to green-light a sequel. Hence, Pacific Rim 2 is now in the pre-development/writing stage, and of course, this means that rumors and speculation are flying around the internet. Here I will compile some of the rumors and my own personal expectations for Pacific Rim 2.

5. We Will Get Glimpses of the Aftermath

Kaiju emerging from the Water to destroy city
Kaiju emerging from the Water to destroy city

Following the destructive attack at the end of the last film, the aftermath will probably be shown as a warning to future generations about not being prepared. In the first film, the Jaeger program was in the process of being shut down, leaving only four Jaegers to fight the increasing Kaiju attacks. With the destruction brought upon by the Kaiju, I imagine there to be an increased presence of the military to make the public feel more comfortable. In addition, we will see cities being rebuilt with a more defensive design.

Eva Robots from Neon Genesis Evangelion
Eva Robots from Neon Genesis Evangelion

This is very reminiscent of Neon Genesis Evangelion – the hit anime series that also dealt with giant robots in a post apocalyptic world that also fought out of this world monsters/angels. However, Evangelion delved more into ideas of humanity and philosphy rather than being just an action film/television show.  And although del Toro claims to not have been inspired by Evangelion, there are definite similarities between the two.

This new defensive design will most likely be put to the test in the second film when the cities are again attacked by the Kaiju. On top of this, the future presented will probably be much darker than the previous film, as this world has lived through disaster and knows what waits on the other side. Prompting the public to look at everything unfamiliar with a questionable eye.

With this increased military presence, our favorite Kaiju Repo-Man, General Chau (Ron Pearlman) will be a little less flashy in his illegal trading activities, but that won’t stop him from dealing in Kaiju tidbits.

4. Charlie Day’s Newt Geiszler Will Be the Villain

Charlie Day's Newt Geiszler
Charlie Day’s Newt Geiszler

Del Toro and his fellow writers have joked about Charlie Day’s character Newt Geiszler, the crazy scientist who forms a mental link with the Kaiju, being the villain in the next film. This is an amusing idea, as Day’s character was incredibly entertaining, with his quick comebacks and fascination with Kaiju; so giving him more screen time would be greatly appreciated. At the end of the film we see that there are side effects to Geiszler’s decision; much like how one human cannot link to a Jaeger because of serious health risks (Idris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost is a prime example), one can assume that linking with a Kaiju will have some serious effects down the line. I would predict that Day’s character begins, or is already, dealing with the effects at the beginning of Pacific Rim 2, and we see the link leading him to madness and then villainy.

This madness, could be linked to the idea that Geiszler, who still has this lingering connection, may begin to think like a Kaiju. Kaiju tendencies may start to entice him and eventually lead him to do their bidding. The possible solution to this is Geiszler being able to break the connection and help end the chaos he started, which in retrospect may be too similar to the first Pacific Rim but could be a viable possibility.

The other option is that Geiszler may begin to actually “transform” into a Kaiju, which would be interesting but seems much more unlikely. Whatever happens to Geiszler expect Burn Gorman’s Gottlieb to be at his side. The dynamic duo was a fan favorite and I expect them to again grace the big screen with their scientific banter.

3. Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori Will Be an Item

Mako and Raleigh together
Mako and Raleigh together

As clichéd as this may be, it seems that the two will probably be dating by the second film. Since the threat of Kaijus are gone, we can assume that the last remaining Jaeger pilots have retired and will be living together. In Pacific Rim, it was made very clear that the pair had a strong connection, so it would make sense if the two pilots ended up dating. After the stressful and death-defying events of the last film, they will most likely want to distant themselves from anything involving the Kaiju. So, we can expect the pair (and apparently last surviving Jaeger team) to face some difficulties when they have to return to their Jaeger. Speaking of…

2. New Jaeger Pilots

Pilots walking to battle
Pilots walking to battle

With a new threat rising, we can expect the Jaeger program to be reborn. And of course, with new Jaegers comes new pilots. These new pilots will all probably have been scarred somehow by a Kaiju and have their own personal reason for joining. Each Jaeger pilot will fulfill a character cliché that the former pilots did as well. These new pilots will possibly consist of: the meat-head, the intellectual, the tough gal, and the savant. In the first Pacific Rim, we only got surface views of the other pilots, making their inevitable demise relatively unemotional (but their deaths did not distract the audience from the amazing action sequences).

However, in Pacific Rim 2 we will get to know our pilots better than before. Raleigh and Mako will most likely act as mentors to the rookies, with some of the rookies looking up to the duo and others butting heads, believing that with a new enemy a new hero must arise. Their new role as mentors could create strain on Raleigh and Mako’s relationship, causing friction amongst the rookies who support and those who are actively against them.

In the end, if Pacific Rim 2 is as clichéd as Pacific Rim, then the rookies will have to step up during the final battle to save their mentors. Plus, to prove that the stakes are real, the writers will kill off one of the new teams (most likely the duo that is very likable) early on in battle. Del Toro knows how to pull at heartstrings (usually in less obvious ways, see Pan’s Labyrinth), and by letting the audience get to know this team and then killing them off, Del Toro is able to show that this is not just fun and games.

1. Jaeger-Kaiju Hybrid

Kaiju
Kaiju

This rumor was spread by Guillermo Del Toro himself, and seems very likely to happen. We see that the Kaiju’s main goal is to breed and take over worlds; evidenced in the fact Kaiju can rapidly evolve (ex. Kaiju near the end of the film could fly). In addition, Stacker’s Jaeger fell into the Kaiju world, so the surviving Kaijus now have something to base their new transformation on. This hybrid will most likely be the main threat for the protagonists, having the advantage of the Kaiju’s raw power and knowledge of the Jaeger. Combining both power houses leaves the protagonists with only one choice: upgrade their Jaegers and fight as a team.

In addition, the hybrid will probably gain access through Geiszler and his fractured mind, somehow opening a hole in between their two dimensions. The hybrid will band all the pilots together regardless of past differences and end the film with an epic fight sequence.

Another, but less likely scenario, is a prequel. The idea of a prequel is interesting, but I think it would be too much like the upcoming Godzilla film for its own good. And while I would love to see Idris Elba fight in a Jaeger, the likelihood is near zero.

While there is no official release date for the film, Del Toro has already started writing the script. He has gone on the record to say,

Legendary gave me the absolute go-ahead with writing the screenplay, so Travis Beacham and I are working on it…everybody is unwavering in their love for the movie. -Rolling Stones

You can tell that this project is near and dear to Del Toro because, even though he is working on several other projects now, he is still championing the continuation of this film. Pacific Rim may not have been a runaway success in the States, but its international appeal has solidified it and Del Toro in the world of giant fighting robots. Don’t expect to see this movie in the next two years but expect it to make a splash when it is finally released.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

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25 Comments

  1. Childress
    0

    I was actually disappointed with Pacific Rim when I first saw it. I’m a huge Godzilla fan and I had watched all of those movies before seeing this one. And with Guillermo talking about how he was inspired by old Kaiju movies I thought it would be more along the lines of the classic films. But you can’t really compare Pacific Rim to the Godzilla films. They may both be Kaiju movies but the style is totally different.

    However, after watching it again with out the classic Kaiju mindset going in I enjoyed it a lot more.

    • Nilson Thomas Carroll

      I have a similar opinion, but I was comparing the film to Eva, as the article mentions. It seemed like it was going to be a great film (I remember Kanye West and Kojima tweeting rave reviews for it), but the film was only a bit above average.

      • Lauren Gabourel

        I also thought the film was “good” but not great, but I must give it credit for very inventive action sequences.

        And I hope to do an article soon discussing the influences of Eva, and other anime, on Pacific Rim, because there were a lot!

    • palmira
      0

      I felt the exact same way abou it! The second time watching was so much better for me. I understood and enjoyed the different style of the movie. And the special effects make the movie alone.

    • Just watched pacific rim again absolutely love this movie. Really one of the most fun movies to watch in years. I read somewhere thst the ideas for the sequel will make the first movie look like a trial run.

  2. Cant imagine what the plot for PR 2 would be. Seemed to wrap up pretty nicely at the end of the first. Would be pretty lame if it was just “oh, the aliens and Kaiju are back for revenge”

  3. As much as I love PR, seeing it three times made me realize that I only really loved it for the giant robots and kaiju. Several parts were laughable, with some stale acting, writing, extreme stereotypes of respective nationalities (Bleached-blond wrestler Russians, basketball-playing Chinese triplets, etc.), plot holes…

  4. Roderick
    0

    1st film was great but I think the soundtrack ruined it. Far to happy a tone to giant monsters terrorising the earth.

    • Jill Harvey
      0

      It was plenty dark at times. I felt the soundtrack was both heartfelt and optimistic when it needed to be, but harrowing when the film demanded it. It was a huge love letter to the genres that inspired it, just like the rest of the movie.

    • Sammie Overby
      0

      The soundtrack when Typhoon and Chernobyl took on Leatherback and Otachi really built the suspense.

  5. BenoitV
    0

    AS long as they clean up the plot holes and inconstancies. One of my favourites being that kaiju bone is expensive to buy yet the entire bone slums live inside and round a kaiju skeleton.

    The fact that the escape put does not need a kaiju corpse to pass through the portal.

    When a Jaeger warps into another dimension in space, they start running out of oxygen. When under water; Not an issue.

    Kaijus can survive the crushing depth of the marina trench without conventional deep sea design elements, but cant take a punch from Jaeger (goes both ways)

  6. granger
    0

    I saw this movie the other month and I have to be honest, I thought it was dire. The effects and the fight scenes were well done, but I hated the characters, the dull story and the acting quality.

    However, that’s not to say everyone will feel the same. If you live for action and you like robots fighting aliens, I’m happy for you. But I need something else to tie all of that together and it was just coming apart at the seams for me.

  7. Austin

    When the first Pacific Rim was in its advertising stage, I adamantly refused to watch I stubbornly believed it was just going to be a lesser ripoff of older Kaiju movies, and most importantly for me, Neon Genesis Evangelion. It turns out most of what I thought happened to be true, but not for the reasons I expected. Hopefully, the sequel will breathe some life into some of the more disappointing aspects of the series!

  8. I thought the relationship between the Japanese woman and the main character was a little lacking but other than that it was a fairly original story, something I rarely see these days in Hollywood.

  9. I just don’t know where they could go. Maybe no more monsters. But the humans will use the robots to try and reclaim what was left of earth. Go back to the way things were with humans killing humans. But using giant robots.

    • They could do this: The aliens from the first movie, the ones who survived, contact another group and the send in bigger and more power monsters to take out the Jeagers and the humans as revenge. Simple story and straight forward.

  10. Pacific Rim has the potential to be an amazing franchise. If they decide to reboot Gamera they should do it in this universe

  11. Wenchette
    0

    “In addition, Stacker’s Jaeger fell into the Kaiju world, so the surviving Kaijus now have something to base their new transformation on.”

    Stacker and Chuck vaporized themselves above the rift. Gipsy Danger was the Jaeger that fell into the rift, Raleigh and Mako’s Jaeger. That went boom too of course.

    Compliments on an interesting article that’s sure to stir up the fandom.

  12. Two words: Mecha Kaiju.

    I can’t make that up. This is why it NEEDS to happen.

    • Kaiju remains + Jaeger remains = Mecha Kaiju, awsome, it’ll be like the cyborg Godzilla from the 98 movie cartoon series.

  13. Cara Steen
    0

    Just add more Jaegers and Kaijus and less eye roll inducing racial stereotypes and fake Australian accents.

  14. If Del Toro indeed makes a sequel to Pacific Rim, this will feel like Godzilla meet Transformers 3! Hell yeah, I’m excited

  15. I was just thinking about this movie today and how I wanted a sequel! I was actually not expecting this movie to be as good as it was. I would like to call myself a fan of action movies, but this movie had some pretty good action scenes. I could hardly stay in my seat. The movie screamed highly gimmicky in the previews but you really have to watch the movie and not judge by its cover. I thought the acting was great also.

    But as far as PR2, I have no clue exactly what direction this movie is going, but I trust the director! He wont let us down.

  16. I thought the movie was fun and had a deeper purpose than most “godzilla” type movies. I think a sequel will be fun, especially if del toro is fully involved again but it is hard for me to see it being a better film than the first.

  17. Emily Deibler

    The Jaeger-Kaiju hybrid sounds grotesquely awesome. I’m certainly excited for Pacific Rim 2!

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