Speaking with
Total Film, director Guillermo del Toro talks about two of his upcoming projects. A few months ago, it was reported that he will be co-writing a sequel to this summer's
Pacific Rim with original screenwriter Travis Beacham, though it was unclear if he would return to the director's chair. Here, del Toro discusses learning more and more about the universe of the sci-fi thriller and making a follow-up work.
"Travis and I have been working on it. We co-wrote the screenplay on this first one, and now we’re hard at work at doing the second one. We want to take however long it takes to really find out the idea and try to bridge something that really makes the mythology roll. And in the meantime, I’m going to shoot Crimson Peak, which is a ghost story. The great thing about Legendary is they’re willing to take it to completion in the right way. They’re giving us the leeway. Imagine that we’re generating the comic book. We’re learning more about the [Pacific Rim] world we’re creating day by day."
Del Toro then reveals some new details for his upcoming ghost story film
Crimson Peak, which will also be produced by Legendary Pictures. Last we heard, Emma Stone (
The Amazing Spider-Man) and Charlie Hunnam (
Pacific Rim) were in talks for the lead roles, and that an early 2014 start date was being eyed.
"It’s the turn of the century," he says.
"So it’s at the turn of the century and half of the movie takes place in America, and the other half takes place in a crumbling mansion in Cumbria. And basically it’s a ghost story and gothic romance, trying to subvert the rules of the usual gothic romance. It’s very much... the first half is a love story, then that love story turns darker. And it’s at the same time a ghost story. I’m working at this moment with Lucinda Clarkson who is a really great playwright from the UK. She has the proper degree of perversity and intelligence to turn it into something interesting to watch. It’s sort of a very compelling version of the classic gothic romance, where you have the spookiness and the windswept landscape that dooms the characters, you know?"
For even more from Del Toro and
Pacific Rim, be sure to pick up the latest issue of Total Film.
Pacific Rim stars Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Ron Perlman. The film is set to hit theaters July 12th.