Currently locked in “crazy, active” pre-production on Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro took time to chat about Pacific Rim at the New York City press junket for scary creature feature Don’t Be Afraid Of The Dark.
Previously At Comic Con, del Toro branded Pacific Rim a sci-fi epic about “giant [frick]ing monsters against giant [frick]ing robots”, with humanity deploying colossal mechanical suits to battle equally colossal creatures emerging from a dimensional rift in the Pacific Ocean. A devotee since childhood of Japanese science fiction and horror, del Toro calls the tentpole “my homage and lovefest to giant monsters destroying cities…”
Shooting is due to kick off in Toronto in November, half the creature designs are complete and del Toro has been pulling together his ensemble cast, which now includes Charlie Hunnam, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi, Max Martini, Robert Kazinsky and the actor he’s settled on to play Pacific Rim’s lead character, Sensi: Idris Elba. Del Toro says he did try to convince Tom Cruise to follow him onto Pacific Rim after the collapse of At The Mountains Of Madness, but “the deal couldn’t be made”.
As for Elba, del Toro, like most people, is a massive fan of Stringer Bell in The Wire but “the closer” was the British actor’s portrayal of an obsessive police detective in BBC crime series Luther. “The presence Idris has is almost like a supernatural gravitational force,” enthuses del Toro. “Literally objects start moving when the guy enters a room. He’s an actor of uncommon power and uncommon humanity… Javier Bardem is another one. They’re like Rodin sculptures. They represent pure humanity.”
Pacific Rim that will mark Del Toro’s belated return to the director’s chair for the first time since 2008 and Hellboy II. Pacific Rim hits theaters July 12, 2013