In case things didn’t need to be more specific, Amazon has announced that a “Pacific Rim” TV series is currently in development. It will be a love action project produced between Legendary Television and Amazon MGM Studios. Although details are scarce, the show is said to be a prequel to the films – offering a whole new dimension to the franchise, potentially.
Furthermore, Eris Heisserer (From “Bird Box,”“Arrival” and “Shadow and Bone”) will serve as writer and executive producer under his Chronology banner. The TV deal is with Legendary Television, so this has a lot of backing. From the looks of it, the franchise is also reported to have new films to be conceived.
The world of “Pacific Rim” is filled with legions of monstrous beings known as “kaijus” who seek to end the world. In response, humans have developed giant mecha robots called “Jaegers,”to combat the kaiju’s threat to mankind.
The franchise began in 2013, directed by director Guillermo del Toro and screenplay by Travis Beacham. The first installment was a massive success, grossing over $400 million at the box office. It has been followed by a 2018 sequel(“Pacific Rim Uprising”), a 2021-2022 Netflix anime series (“Pacific Rim: The Black”), and other various forms of media.
The announcement has indeed brought some ire from long-time fans, with many feeling that Amazon’s direction will cause the IP to be a typical blockbuster styled show with CW operatics. However, some are hopeful that Amazon will have the budget to create high quality special effects.
In short, it’s hard to determine whether this show will be good or bad. Yet, it’s best to be hopeful that Amazon can provide a faithful installment to the franchise’s cyberpunk nature. God knows how concerning the move for major companies to dump their money into long running franchises instead of something new. Alas, let’s hope for the best.
