We first heard about plans for a live-action Pacific Rim series last year, and we now have confirmation that the project is moving forward at Amazon Prime Video.
Variety reports that the show is being developed as part of a deal between lead studio Legendary Television and Amazon MGM Studios. Eric Heisserer will serve as writer and executive producer under his Chronology banner.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps, but we do know that the untitled series will serve as a prequel to the movies. Apparently, "there is still the potential for new films in the franchise as well."
The Pacific Rim franchise launched back in 2013 with Guillermo del Toro's original movie, which was followed in 2018 by Steve S. DeKnight's Pacific Rim: Uprising. Since then, we've had the Pacific Rim: The Black animated series, as well as various comic books, novels, video games and other tie-in merchandise.
The first film grossed $411 million worldwide, while the sequel underperformed with a $290 million global haul.
Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day and Burn Gorman starred in the original, with John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, and Cailee Spaeny playing the leads in Uprising (Kikuchi and Gorman also reprised their roles). Boyega played the son of Elba's character, Stacker Pentecost, so it'll be interesting to see if this new series features any characters will familial connections.
The concept focuses on giant monsters, or Kaiju, emerging from the depths of the ocean and humankind building massive mechs known as Jaegers in an attempt to fight back.
Heisserer previously served as the showrunner, executive producer and writer of the Netflix fantasy series Shadow and Bone, and also penned the Denis Villeneuve-directed sci-fi thriller Arrival starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, and Netflix sci-fi thriller Bird Box starring Sandra Bullock.
Are you excited by the prospect of a live-action Pacific Rim prequel series? Were you a fan of the movies? Let us know in the comments section down below, and check out the trailer and synopsis for Del Toro's original.
"Long ago, legions of monstrous creatures called Kaiju arose from the sea, bringing with them all-consuming war. To fight the Kaiju, mankind developed giant robots called Jaegers, designed to be piloted by two humans locked together in a neural bridge. However, even the Jaegers are not enough to defeat the Kaiju, and humanity is on the verge of defeat. Mankind's last hope now lies with a washed-up ex-pilot, an untested trainee and an old, obsolete Jaeger."