Cinematic Universes are all the rage in Hollywood today, and for years there has been speculation about what might come together over at Legendary Pictures. After all, the studio is currently developing franchises with Pacific Rim, King Kong, and Godzilla, and many have suggested the idea of having parts of all three come together in one epic blockbuster. It turns out that this isn't something that is really in the cards right now, but earlier this year Legendary producer Cale Boyter hinted at another massive possible future for the Pacific Rim brand. He told us,
There's no plans to merge. Understandably that might be cool, but I might have something up my sleeve that will surprise you - that I think you guys will love, that I think is better than the obvious approach.
Along with three other reporters, I flew out to Sydney, Australia back in January when Steven DeKnight's Pacific Rim Uprising was still in production, and it was there that we had the chance to meet and chat with Cale Boyter. Literally noting that it's not every day that I get to sit down with a producer from Legendary Pictures, I asked about the potential for a Pacific Rim, King Kong, and Godzilla crossover, and his response is what you read above. Sadly, he didn't provide any further hints about what was in the works, but he certainly sold it as something special.
Frankly, there have always been some logistical issues here -- and I'm not solely referring to the fact that Pacific Rim Jaegers stand nearly 100 feet shorter than the newly introduced Godzilla. It all has to do with studio politics. While it's true that the original Pacific Rim was made during the partnership between Legendary and Warner Bros., the brand has since moved over to Universal, which will be releasing Pacific Rim Uprising early next year. Meanwhile, Godzilla and King Kong both remain over at Warners thanks to a deal a few years ago that set up the developing Monsterverse with the studio, despite their main partnership with Legendary coming to an end. Of course, studio cooperation could have resolved this issue, but it definitely would have created some notable issues during development.
So if inclusion in the Monsterverse isn't going to happen, what is the big, secret future for Pacific Rim? Right now we have no idea, but it's entirely possible that we will start to pick up some more hints and clues -- if not the full answer -- when Pacific Rim Uprising is released next year. The new film is set 10 years after the events of the Guillermo del Toro-directed original, and finds a world incredibly uneasy about whether or not the deadly Kaiju will ever come back (hint: they do). The blockbuster stars John Boyega, Cailee Spaeny, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, and Rinko Kikuchi, who all may or may not be a major part of Cale Boyter's teased developments.
We're kind of bummed that we may never get the chance to see Kong suit up in his own plus-sized Jaeger, but we're also definitely excited for the future of the Pacific Rim series. You'll be able to see Pacific Rim Uprising in theaters on March 23, 2018, and be sure to stay tuned for more of our set visit coverage here on CinemaBlend!
