The Jaeger program is looking for new recruits.
As the Internet grinds to a halt in anticipation of San Diego Comic-Con, Legendary has unleashed a Jaeger Uprising Recruitment video for Pacific Rim Uprising, the Steven S. DeKnight-directed creature feature that places John Boyega (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) in the driving seat.
For when the Kaiju stage their resurgence, the former Attack the Block actor will lead the human resistance as Jake Pentecost, son of the apocalypse-canceling Stacker (Idris Elba). That leaves Boyega with some mighty big boots to fill – both human and otherwise – if he’s to command the story in the spirit of his on-screen father, but we’re quietly confident that the rising star is ready to step up to the plate. You’ll be able to catch a fleeting glimpse of him suited up at the tail-end of Uprising‘s first teaser, which spends close to a minute championing the Jaeger as the pinnacle of human invention. And after saving the human race from the jaws of extinction four years ago, we’re inclined to agree.
If you recognize the A.I. voice from today’s teasing snippet, you should; that’s Ellen McLain (GLaDOS from Portal), the voice of the Jaeger A.I. from the first movie. Meanwhile, below you’ll see the remodeled Gypsy Danger standing alongside a host of new ‘bots: Guardian Bravo, Titan Redeemer, Bracer Phoenix, and Saber Athena. Thanks, io9.
Behind the scenes, poor timing ultimately forced Guillermo del Toro to vacate the director’s chair, after he spent the past six months toiling away on The Shape of Water. However that may be, it seems the illustrious Mexican filmmaker hasn’t given up on that long-rumored spinoff TV series just yet.
Casting-wise, Uprising features a who’s who of international talent, including Jing Tian (The Great Wall), Wesley Wong, Lily Ji, Lan Yingying, Qian Yongchen, Zhang Jin, and newcomers Cailee Spaeny and Chen Zitong.
Formerly titled Maelstrom, Pacific Rim Uprising reports for duty on February 23rd, 2018. In order to lend viewers the chance to catch Steven S. DeKnight’s (Daredevil) sequel on the biggest screen they can find, the studio plans to show Uprising across 2D, 3D, and select IMAX 3D theatres.
