Pacific Rim TV series in development from Arrival screenwriter

Fire up the Jaegers! Variety reports that Legendary Entertainment is developing a Pacific Rim TV series with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Eric Heisserer.

Heisserer recently entered a first-look television deal with Legendary, and this Pacific Rim TV series will be the first project developed. Under the deal, Heisserer will “develop and shepherd IP-driven and related projects for Legendary” through his Chronology banner alongside co-founder Carmen Lewis. The Pacific Rim TV series will be a prequel, telling the origin of the conflict between humanity and the Kaiju.

“Eric is a multitalented, prolific creator whose track record of critical and commercial successes speaks for itself,” said Jason Clodfelter, president of Legendary Television. “We are thrilled to launch our partnership with Eric, Chronology, and Carmen, with a new entry in the epic, globally popular ‘Pacific Rim’ universe. We are certain their vision will make for an enthralling expansion to Legendary’s beloved franchise.“

In addition to Arrival, Heisserer is best known for developing Shadow and Bone, a fantasy series based on the works of Leigh Bardugo. The series aired for two seasons on Netflix before it was cancelled.

After an interdimensional portal opens at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, giant monsters begin attacking cities. This prompts humanity to build massive robots known as Jaegers, piloted by two people who share a mental link known as drifting. The first film, which Guillermo del Toro directed, was a lot of fun. Although it underperformed at the North American box office, it did do well enough overseas to get the ball rolling on a sequel. Unfortunately, Del Toro had to drop out, and Pacific Rim Uprising didn’t quite have that same magic. An anime series, Pacific Rim: The Black, aired for two seasons on Netflix, but I’ll admit that I didn’t even remember that happening.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has shown that these types of stories can be told on the small screen, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The prequel aspect also intrigues me, as the series could revolve around the construction of the first Jaeger.

Are you down for a Pacific Rim TV series? Let us know in the comments.