Some bittersweet news here tonight, folks. Deadline is reporting that Legendary Pictures has found a director for the long-awaited Pacific Rim 2, but unfortunately, it’s not Guillermo del Toro. Instead, Spartacus creator Steven S. DeKnight will take the helm of the sequel.
While that’s certainly not what most fans wanted to hear, the fact that there’s been significant movement on the project is definitely a good sign (given that it’s been in development hell for a while now). Sure, del Toro may not be returning to direct, but at least things are back on track with Pacific Rim 2, which means that it should start to barrel towards a production start date sooner rather than later.
The current script was penned by Jon Spaihts, and while we have no plot or casting details just yet (Maisie Williams is rumored for a role though, and it’s likely that all the surviving characters will return), expect the pieces to fall into place now that DeKnight is on board.
[zergpaid]No stranger to action, the director was responsible for Starz’s hit series Spartacus, not to mention he also served as EP on Marvel’s Daredevil. So, DeKnight definitely has some considerable experience and no doubt knows his way around staging a set piece. Whether or not he can bring the unique vision and tremendous sense of scale that del Toro brought to the first film remains to be seen, but he’s certainly a solid pick for a replacement.
Still, we’re hopeful that del Toro will remain involved with the sequel in at least some capacity. His love for this world and the creatures/characters in it came through very clearly in the original and it would be a shame if he totally walked away from the follow-up.
Tell us, are you excited to see what Steven S. DeKnight can do with Pacific Rim 2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.