We’ve heard much about the possibility – or lack thereof – of a PACIFIC RIM sequel since the initial film’s release in July. When PAC RIM failed to impress here in the U.S., making only $101 million at the box office, it looked like the potential for a followup was slim to none. But after the film had a nice showing overseas, particularly in China, the worldwide cume rose to $407 million, giving hope to more Kaiju-Jaeger showdowns in the future.
That said, $400 million still isn’t an incredible sum when you consider the movie cost about $200 million to produce. Then you add the millions spent on marketing, and this is still not a profitable movie for Warner Bros. But the Blu-ray/DVD has just come out (order it HERE), and could very well play a large role in PACIFIC RIM 2’s fate.
Naturally, director Guillermo del Toro is undaunted. In an interview with IGN, del Toro is asked whether or not the Blu-ray sales will determine whether or not PACIFIC RIM 2 goes forward. Del Toto responds:
No, we are writing the sequel. Travis Beacham and I are writing, so that is active. The decision to green light or not, that’s definitely above my pay rate.”
To me, what was beautiful and flattering was how people saw the movie not once or twice but three, four times or more. People that love it, love it with great passion. So I would love to continue telling stories about that world.”
Del Toro is currently hard at work developing “The Strain” and CRIMSON PEAK, so there’s no question that PACIFIC RIM 2 is not in the immediate cards… but you still can’t count it out.
As for what else is in del Toro’s future, the director contends that he’s still trying to mount his dream project, FRANKENSTEIN, which he says hopes happens “in the right way and the right moment. Every time I get with Universal, we talk about doing it, and then for whatever reason something else takes over.”
Of course, he also doesn’t rule out the eventual filming of another long-gestating project, AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, which he says Universal is still intrigued by, even though they famously shut down pre-production of it in 2011.
Thankfully, whatever Guillermo gets going after “The Strain” and CRIMSON PEAK, we can be assured it will be worth seeing. How many directors can you say that about?