Pacific Rim Origin Prequel Series Under Development as Kaiju Franchise Continues to Grow
Legendary is bringing back Pacific Rim in the form of a new series that aims to explore the kaiju franchise’s origins.
Legendary is bringing back Pacific Rim in the form of a new series that aims to explore the kaiju franchise’s origins.
First details about the prequel series come from Variety, which reports that the show is officially in development as part of a new first-look deal with Arrival and Bird Box writer Eric Heisserer. The site says the collaboration between Legendary and Heisserer will see them working together to create “IP-driven and related projects.”
It’s a deal that starts with the Pacific Rim origin story, with future projects yet to be announced.
Heisserer is best known for his work on Arrival but has touched a wide range of projects across movies and TV for the last 15 years. He is credited as a writer on the The Thing prequel from 2011 and also helped write the screenplay for David F. Sandberg’s 2016 breakout horror movie, Lights Out. In the television department, Heisserer is known as the creator of Netflix’s Shadow and Bone. He’ll work on the Pacific Rim origin story show under his Chronology production company banner along with collaborator Carmen Lewis.
“Eric is a multitalented, prolific creator whose track record of critical and commercial successes speaks for itself,” Legendary Television president Jason Clodfelter said. “We are thrilled to launch our partnership with Eric, Chronology, and Carmen, with a new entry in the epic, globally popular Pacific Rim universe. We are certain their vision will make for an enthralling expansion to Legendary’s beloved franchise.”
The story of Pacific Rim can be traced back to 2013 with the release of the original film. Directed by Guillermo del Toro, its gritty story sees humans suit up in giant mechs known as Jaegers to fight off fearsome kaiju creatures that threaten Earth. It’s a monster movie with a twist that returned in 2018 without del Toro’s direction thanks to its sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising. Netflix brought its own additions to the table with an anime spinoff called Pacific Rim: The Black in 2021.
With Legendary and Heisserer looking to turn back the clock to earlier moments in the Pacific Rim franchise, there’s no telling how it will build upon its already towering world. While we wait for more, you can read our original Pacific Rim review. We gave it a 7.5/10, saying, “Pacific Rim may be Guillermo del Toro's biggest film, but it's certainly not his best.”
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
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