There was word that PACIFIC RIM 2 was, like TRON 3, being dumped because of financial inviability, but Guillermo Del Toro maintained that they were about to turn in their script and that it was very much still on.
So when Universal says that they’re merely delaying the film’s production so that it will be up to the standards of the original film, we have to assume that they mean it…right?
They’ve vacated the August 2017 date they’d slotted for PAC RIM 2 and given it to PITCH PERFECT 3, a much more financially-sensible (and cheap) sequel. They insist that they’re still dead-set on making it. Here’s their official statement:
“The filmmakers, Legendary and Universal Pictures are committed to having PACIFIC RIM 2, the sequel to 2013’s PACIFIC RIM, which generated more $411 million at the global box office, be the vanguard, fully-immersive experience that the franchise deserves.”
But you ask me, when the dust settles and enough time has passed and they’re ready to reevaulate, the studio will probably nix PAC RIM 2. Both Legendary and Uni have other franchises with much more built-in appeal that will presumably snowball over the next couple of years, and devoting a whole bunch of time, attention, and money to a PACIFIC RIM sequel will likely seem less and less appealing the more time goes on. You only have to look at this very talkback to see how dubious the stateside reception to the original was; if keeping GDT and Chinese audiences happy is their only motivation for doing this, it very, very well might never happen.
I was hoping that Universal would swoop in like they did with HELLBOY 2, and allow for a bigger, more satisfying ride than the original, but it seems like even they (and/or Legendary) aren’t 100% willing to take the risk.
Or, maybe, this is all bullshit, and they’re still very much intent on following up Del Toro and Travis Beachem’s story in the near future. I, and many others, would be quite happy about that.
