Over the weekend Charlie Hunnam confirmed that, alas, he would not be joining efforts to cancel the apocalypse again in Pacific Rim 2. “I’m very excited about it," the actor tells Yahoo. "I’m glad they’re making it. I think it's gonna be great. I read an early draft of what they're doing - there was one incarnation of this sequel that featured me heavily, but I was unavailable." The problem revolved around a scheduling conflict, which was something they couldn't remedy.
"I think they're onto something very exciting," he adds, calling the Steven DeKnight-directed film a "significant progression" from the first movie. "It feels like they're really aspiring to push this thing forward and do something original."
The Force Awakens' John Boyega is part of those efforts to branch out. The actor was cast in the role of Stacker Pentecost's son - the kickass leader played by Idris Elba - earlier this year. Maybe we'll be getting a passing of the torch-inspired storyline that heads off into new territory, as opposed to just remaking the first flick.
Original director and producer on the sequel Guillermo Del Toro told THR over the weekend that the movie will however include several cast members from the 2013 film. With Hunnam officially out, that leaves Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, and Ron Perlman as the three biggest names potentially working out deals to appear alongside Boyega.
Directed by Steven DeKnight and starring John Boyega, Pacific Rim 2 opens on February 23, 2018.
Images: Legendary
