Pacific Rim Uprising will pick up a decade after Pacific Rim, and while Earth has enjoyed peace during the interim period, humanity will soon find itself being threatened again by the Kaiju. Although the Jaeger program hasn't stopped enhancing its giant robots since its first clash with the Kaiju, these beasts have also evolved, and three in particular, which are named Raijin, Hakuja and Shrikethorn, will be especially difficult for Pacific Rim Uprising's protagonists to defeat. According to Peter Chang, the sequel's visual effects supervisor, Raijin is the most dangerous of the trio, as it's classified as a "Category 5 badass." Here's what Chang had to say about Raijin's build and skill set:
Raijin is bi-pedal, more T-Rex-like. He's almost got a Venus-flytrap head that enables him to close up in defense mode. He has the ability to absorb energy from any attack and then use it to power his body to use it as a weapon.
As for Hakuja and Shrikethorn, Peter Chang told Empire that although these Kaiju are classified as Category 4, they're not to be underestimated. Hakuja is described as a "praying mantis/mole/alligator-type thing" that burrows, while Shrikethorn plasma spears it can fire. Normal Kaiju are already extremely hard to put down, but with these three wreaking havoc, the Pacific Rim Uprising heroes had better hope that the new Jaegers' upgrades and weaponry are enough to destroy them.
It was previously revealed that in contrast to the Kaiju seen in Pacific Rim, Pacific Rim Uprising's Kaiju will be more intelligent. As Uprising star John Boyega described it, the first wave of Kaiju were a "test run," and even though that particular breach was closed at the end of Pacific Rim, it's not the only way these creatures can come to Earth. A new wave is Kaiju is on the way, and this time, their plans are more specific. Uprising director Steven DeKnight also stated that much like how humans have been improving the Jaegers over the last 10 years, the aliens that control the Kaiju have been "tinkering and upgrading" the monstrosities. No doubt they're especially proud with how Raijin, Hakuja and Shrikethorn turned out.
Along with bringing back Pacific Rim alum like Charlie Day's Newt Geiszler, Rinko Kikuchi's Mako Mori and Burn Gorman's Herman Gottlieb, Pacific Rim Uprising will introduce newcomers like John Boyega's Jake Pentecost, Cailee Spaeny's Amara Namani and Scott Eastwood's Nate Lambert. Along with dealing with the returning Kaiju, the Uprising characters will also have to deal with problems closer to home, such as nefarious parties obtaining their own Jaegers and some people believing that the Jaegers should be remotely operated, as opposed to humans directly piloting them.
Pacific Rim Uprising hits theaters on March 23, 2018, and don't forget to browse through our 2018 premiere guide to see what other movies are coming out over the next 12 months.
