Idris Elba is up for a role in Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim

As if we weren't excited enough about Guillermo del Toro's next project, the news that Idris Elba could be joining Pacific Rim is enough to crank up our anticipation to dangerous levels.

According to The Wrap, Legendary Pictures is 'interested' in signing the British actor for an unspecified role.

It's hard to believe anyone could turn down the chance to appear in GDT's latest, but Elba has the small matter of Quentin Tarantino's latest, Django Unchained , to consider.

He's rumoured to be up for the lead role in that, which could clash with Pacific Rim 's shoot. Expect to hear an official announcement on his next move before too long.

Elba isn't exactly short on work at the moment. He's currently shooting a role in Ridley Scott's Prometheus , and he recently finished work on Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance .

He still might be best known for his standout role as Stringer Bell in The Wire , though he has also made an impact on UK telly in Luther . After working steadily for a number of years, he looks set to explode.

If he does sign on for Pacific Rim , he won't be the only Brit in the cast - Sons Of Anarchy 's Charlie Hunnam bagged the lead role several weeks ago.

Matt Maytum
Editor, Total Film

I'm the Editor at Total Film magazine, overseeing the running of the mag, and generally obsessing over all things Nolan, Kubrick and Pixar. Over the past decade I've worked in various roles for TF online and in print, including at GamesRadar+, and you can often hear me nattering on the Inside Total Film podcast. Bucket-list-ticking career highlights have included reporting from the set of Tenet and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as covering Comic-Con, TIFF and the Sundance Film Festival.