Pacific Rim (franchise) explained

Pacific Rim
Creator:Guillermo del Toro
Travis Beacham
Origin:Pacific Rim (2013)
Owner:Warner Bros. Pictures
Legendary Pictures
Years:2013–present
Tv: (2021–2022)
Video Games:Pacific Rim (2013)

Pacific Rim (Spanish: Titanes del Pacífico) is a Mexican-American franchise that consists of Kaiju-monster installments; including two theatrical films: Pacific Rim (2013) and Pacific Rim Uprising (2018), and an animated television series: (2021–2022). The overall plot centers around a future where giant Kaiju monsters arise from an interdimensional portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, and the military response to their attacks. Based on an original story written by Travis Beacham, the franchise expands on his original fictional future by exploring humanity's actions for survival. This franchise was created by Mexican film director Guillermo del Toro.

The original film was met with positive critical and financial reception. The second film was met with mixed critical reception, though it still made a profit at the box office. The franchise expanded with the release of an animated television series which lasted for two seasons, and released exclusively on Netflix. The show was well received by critics and its viewers.

Films

FilmU.S.
release date
DirectorScreenwritersStory byProducers
Pacific RimGuillermo del ToroTravis Beacham & Guillermo del ToroTravis BeachamGuillermo del Toro, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Mary Parent
Pacific Rim UprisingSteven S. DeKnightSteven S. DeKnight,
Emily Carmichael & Kira Snyder
and T.S. Nowlin
Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Guillermo del Toro, John Boyega, Femi Oguns, Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni

Pacific Rim (2013)

See main article: Pacific Rim (film). In 2013, legions of monstrous creatures from another universe known as Kaiju rise from the seas, when a wormhole to another dimension labelled as "The Breach" opened at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. As the human race fought their advances, the races of the planet form a resistance and become involved in an all-out war. To thwart the monsters' advances, mankind built giant robots named Jaegers, equipped with the technology and weaponry to fight back. Controlled by two pilots linked together via a neural connection to the machines, the human forces have attempted to regain control of the planet called the Pan Pacific Defense Corps. Under the direction of a Jaeger pilot-turned Lead of the combined military named Marshal Stacker Pentecost, the Earth's civilizations withhold complete extinction.

In 2020, years after their initial attack, brothers Yancy and Raleigh Beckett co-pilot a Jaeger to defend Anchorage Alaska from the attack of a powerful Kaiju codenamed "Knifehead". During the battle the creature kills Yancy, while Raleigh takes sole control of the machine and ultimately defeats the monster. Traumatized from the experience and saddened at the passing of his older brother, Raleigh quits the Jaeger program. Now in 2025, humanity is on the verge of defeat. In one last stand against the Kaiju, the future of the human race rests in the hands of Raleigh, and an untested trainee named Mako Mori, who must work together after being recruited by Pentecost to pilot an older model Jaeger of a bygone era. Together, the pair must overcome their differences, in a combined effort close "The Breach" and stop the advances to save the planet.[1] [2] [3]

Pacific Rim Uprising (2018)

See main article: Pacific Rim Uprising. In 2035, ten years after the Battle of the Breach successfully closed the portal at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean through which an alien race called the Precursors sent beasts from another dimension to conquer the planet, Jake Pentecost makes a career out of stealing and selling parts of the old Jaeger machines on the Black Market. The once-promising pilot, whose heroic father gave his life to secure the victory against the gigantic Kaiju, abandoned his training only to become involved in the criminal underworld. Despite his efforts to turn away from his upbringing, Pentecost soon finds that he is pulled back into his military position when a new and unstoppable threat begins to rip through cities. With civilization again threatened on the brink of complete obliteration, he seeks to mend broken relationships and reunites with his adoptive sister Mako Mori. Together with the combined forces of the human race, Jake must rise to the occasion and live up to his legendary father's legacy.[4] [5] [6]

Future

In October 2017, DeKnight stated that the plot to a third movie had been written, though its development is dependent on the critical and financial success of Pacific Rim Uprising. The filmmaker stated that plans include expanding the fictional universe into sequels and spin-offs directly tied to previous installments, as well as standalone releases as well; comparing plans to Star Wars and Star Trek.[7] DeKnight later talked about his interest in having the franchise crossover with the MonsterVerse.[8]

Legendary and Warner Bros. have revealed that there are plans in development for the franchise to continue, with a possible prequel series in development.[9]

Television

See main article: Pacific Rim: The Black. In November 2018, an anime-styled animated sequel series was announced to be in development. Craig Kyle and Greg Johnson serve as co-creators and co-showrunners. The plot follows the events of Uprising, and centers around a perfectionist teenage boy and his naïve younger sister, who together pilot an abandoned Jaeger to desperately cross the dangerous landscape inhabited by Kaiju monsters, in an attempt to find their missing parents. The project is a joint-venture production between Legendary Entertainment, Legendary Television, and Polygon Pictures, and released as a Netflix Original Series. The series is distributed via streaming exclusively on Netflix. The series was ordered for two seasons.[10] [11]

The Black culminated with a second and final season, released in April 2022.[12]

Main cast and characters

CharacterFilmsTelevision series
Pacific RimPacific Rim
Pacific Rim:
Season 1Season 2
Raleigh BecketCharlie Hunnam
Mar. Stacker PentecostIdris Elba
Mako MoriRinko Kikuchi
Rinko Kikuchi
Dr. Newton "Newt" GeiszlerCharlie Day
Charlie Day
Dr. Hermann GottliebBurn Gorman
Burn Gorman
Hercules "Herc" HansenMax Martini
Hannibal ChauRon Perlman
Chuck HansenRobert Kazinsky
Tendo ChoiClifton Collins Jr.
Yancy BecketDiego Klattenhoff
The PrecursorsCharlie Day
Jake PentecostJohn Boyega
Nathan "Nate" LambertScott Eastwood
Liwen ShaoJing Tian
Amara NamaniCailee Spaeny
Jules ReyesAdria Arjona
Marshal Quan ChengleiMax Zhang
Ou-Yang JinhaiWesley Wong
Viktoriya MalikovaIvanna Sakhno
Ryoichi HatayamaMackenyu
Taylor TravisCalum Worthy
Yusuke Kobayashi
Calum Worthy
Yusuke Kobayashi
Hayley TravisGideon Adlon
Yui Shimodaya
Gideon Adlon
Yui Shimodaya
LoaErica Lindbeck
The Kaiju BoyBen Diskin
MeiVictoria Grace
ShaneAndy McPhee
The Bunyip ManRhys Darby

Additional crew and production details

TitleCrew/Detail
ComposerCinematographerEditorsProduction
companies
Distributing
company
Running time
Pacific RimRamin DjawadiGuillermo NavarroJohn Gilroy & Peter AmundsonLegendary Pictures,
Double Dare You Productions
Warner Bros. Pictures2 hrs 12 mins
Pacific Rim UprisingLorne BalfeDan MindelZach Staenberg, Dylan Highsmith & Josh SchaefferLegendary Pictures,
Double Dare You Productions,
UpperRoom Productions
Universal Pictures1 hr 51 mins
Pacific Rim:
The Black
Brandon CampbellKazunari Hoshino, Hideaki Kashima, Lindsey Myers, Daisuke Tsukioka, Adam Redding, Hiroaki Sasa, and Yukari ToneyaLegendary Television Studios,
Polygon Pictures, Netflix Original Series
Netflix7 hrs

Reception

Box office and financial performance

FilmBox office grossBox office rankingHome video
sales gross
Worldwide total
gross income
BudgetWorldwide total
net income
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwideAll-time
North America
All-time
worldwide
North America
Pacific Rim$101,802,906$309,200,000$411,002,906
  1. 735
  1. 240
$59,184,081$470,186,987$190,000,000$280,186,987[13] [14]
Pacific Rim Uprising$59,874,525$231,055,623$290,930,148
  1. 1,445
  1. 372
$16,549,413$307,479,561$155,000,000$152,479,561[15] [16]
Totals$161,677,431$540,255,623$701,933,054x̄ #1,090x̄ #306$75,733,494$777,666,548$345,000,000$432,666,548

Critical and public response

Title! scope="col" colspan="2"
CriticalPublic
Rotten TomatoesMetacriticCinemaScore
Pacific Rim72% (295 reviews)[17] 65 (48 reviews)[18] A−[19]
Pacific Rim Uprising42% (264 reviews)[20] 44 (45 reviews)[21] B[22]

Season 1

71% (14 reviews)[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Film Review: Pacific Rim. Variety. Change. Justin. July 7, 2013. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230113070103/https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-pacific-rim-1200535260/. January 13, 2023. live.
  2. Web site: Pacific Rim: Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. McCarthy. Todd. July 7, 2013. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230115172244/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pacific-rim-film-review-581518/. January 15, 2023. live.
  3. Web site: Pacific Rim Review. Empire. Nathan. Ian. October 5, 2011. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220825104715/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/pacific-rim-review/. August 25, 2022. live.
  4. Web site: Film Review: Pacific Rim Uprising. Variety. Shager. Nick. March 20, 2018. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221221120042/https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/pacific-rim-uprising-review-1202726331/. December 21, 2022. live.
  5. Web site: Pacific Rim Uprising: Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. Scheck. Frank. March 20, 2018. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203103254/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/pacific-rim-uprising-1095702/. February 3, 2023. live.
  6. Web site: Pacific Rim Uprising Review: At First It's Dull, And Then It's Kind Of Amazing. Slash Film. Han, Karen. March 23, 2018. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203102809/https://www.slashfilm.com/557105/pacific-rim-uprising-review/. February 3, 2023. live.
  7. News: Expanded Pacific Rim Universe May Be Coming Soon, Says Uprising Director. Pearson. Ben. Slash Film. October 9, 2017. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20210308164222/https://www.slashfilm.com/pacific-rim-universe/. March 8, 2021. live.
  8. News: Exclusive: Pacific Rim Uprising Director Says Crossover with Godzilla and King Kong Is Possible. Chitwood. Adam. Complex Media. Collider. October 20, 2017. August 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230216065927/https://collider.com/pacific-rim-godzilla-king-kong-crossover-monsters-universe/#steven-s-deknight. February 16, 2023. live.
  9. https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/legendary-entertainment-pacific-rim-prequel-first-look-tv-deal-eric-heisserer-1236111001/ ‘Pacific Rim’ Prequel Series in Development at Legendary Entertainment Under First-Look TV Deal With Eric Heisserer (EXCLUSIVE)
  10. Web site: Netflix Unveils Pacific Rim, Altered Carbon & More In New Lineup Of Anime Originals. Deadline. Ramos. Dino-Ray. November 7, 2018. February 1, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20221219105753/https://deadline.com/2018/11/netflix-anime-pacific-rim-altered-carbon-cagaster-of-an-insect-cage-yasuke-trese-1202498191/. December 19, 2022. live.
  11. Web site: Netflix's Pacific Rim Anime Is Coming in 2020, Confirmed for Two Seasons. IGN. Purslow. Matt. July 4, 2019. March 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230213161705/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/07/04/netflixs-pacific-rim-anime-is-coming-in-2020-confirmed-for-two-seasons. February 13, 2023. live.
  12. Web site: Pacific Rim: The Black To End With Season 2 On Netflix, Premiere Date Set. Deadline. Andreeva. Nellie. March 23, 2022. April 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20230213161704/https://deadline.com/2022/03/pacific-rim-the-black-canceled-final-season-2-on-netflix-premiere-date-first-look-photos-1234984766/. February 13, 2023. live.
  13. Web site: Pacific Rim (2013) – Financial Information. The Numbers. https://web.archive.org/web/20230213161703/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Pacific-Rim. February 13, 2023. live. April 9, 2022.
  14. Web site: Pacific Rim. Box Office Mojo. https://web.archive.org/web/20230213161703/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1399424513/. February 13, 2023. live. April 9, 2022.
  15. Web site: Pacific Rim Uprising (2018) - Financial Information. The Numbers. https://web.archive.org/web/20230213161703/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Pacific-Rim-Uprising. February 13, 2023. live. April 9, 2022.
  16. Web site: Pacific Rim Uprising. Box Office Mojo. https://web.archive.org/web/20230202034243/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2557478/. February 2, 2023. live. April 9, 2022.
  17. pacific_rim_2013 . Pacific Rim . movie . January 20, 2023.
  18. pacific-rim . Pacific Rim . movie . January 20, 2023.
  19. Web site: July 13, 2013 . Pamela . McClintock . Box Office Report: Pacific Rim Lags; Grown Ups 2 and Despicable Me 2 Vie for No. 1 . January 20, 2023 . . Mirroring strong reviews, Pacific Rim received an A- CinemaScore. . https://web.archive.org/web/20201111231828/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-report-pacific-rim-584939 . November 11, 2020 . live .
  20. pacific_rim_uprising . Pacific Rim Uprising . movie . January 20, 2023.
  21. pacific-rim-uprising . Pacific Rim Uprising . movie . January 20, 2023.
  22. Web site: Does Pacific Rim Uprising Break Even At The Global B.O.?; Black Panther Sets Marvel Record – Sunday Postmortem. Deadline Hollywood. March 25, 2018. Anthony. D'Alessandro. January 20, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20221018093359/https://deadline.com/2018/03/pacific-rim-uprising-black-panther-weekend-box-office-1202352184/. October 18, 2022. live.
  23. pacific_rim_the_black . Pacific Rim: The Black . tv . 1 . January 20, 2023.