After years of waiting for a sequel to the robot-monster-smashing film PACIFIC RIM the sequel, PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING, is only a few short months away from hitting the big screen. However, as reported by Deadline, that “few short months” has just been extended by one full month, and now the movie is being released March 23, 2018.
The original date for the movie was February 23, 2018, where it would debut one week after Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER (February 16). The move is rubbing some people in an odd way, as the competition for RIM in February is minor (sans PANTHER), whereas March has a slew of big-budget movies on the way.
If we take a look at the release schedule, we see that UPRISING would have opened on its own at the end of February, followed by one slow week at the beginning of March to continue to do well in. But, after that, we see the release of Ava DuVernay’s WRINKLE IN TIME (March 9), TOMB RAIDER with Alicia Vikander (March 16), ROBIN HOOD with Taron Egerton (March 23), and then READY PLAYER ONE ending the month (March 30). Now RIM 2 will fall smack against ROBIN HOOD, and then take on READY PLAYER ONE the next week.
The only reason for the move that makes sense to me is that Universal is maybe thinking RIM 2 can out-perform many of these March movies, which may or not be hits, whereas taking on BLACK PANTHER (even in its second week) could be a mistake given Marvel's popularity. It’s a risky move, but Universal is avoiding a guaranteed smash so that RIM can take on possibly weak newcomers. I’m suspecting READY PLAYER ONE from Steven Spielberg will be no slouch at the box office, but we’ve seen expensive sci-fi movies under-perform before (VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS).
Like I said, it’s a risky move to place it in a busier month against movies that may prove weaker competition than PANTHER, but PANTHER is only one movie, and March has several anticipated movies, with READY PLAYER ONE being the biggest threat. That film also has the advantage of coming out after RIM, which means it can dominate for a uncrowded second weekend in April. The move is strange, but hopefully, RIM is badass enough to keep its head afloat so we don't have to wait another seven years for a third movie.
PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING arrives March 23, 2018.