ThePacific Rimfranchise is surprisingly expansive with multiple movies, a TV show, graphic novels, and more, soPacific Rim 3has always been assumed to be a possibility. WhenGuillermo del Toro first premieredPacific Rimin 2013, it was not immediately hailed as a success in the United States, arguably underperforming at the US box office before becoming a global hit, earning $400 million globally while barely crossing $100 million domestically (viaForbes). Those global receipts ended up a bellwether for the belated appreciation and success the film would have.
Since that first movie, which centers on giant robots fighting giant monsters sent to Earth by modestly sized aliens, there has been one feature film sequel,Pacific Rim Uprising; a Netflix TV series,Pacific Rim: The Black; and plenty of video game, novelizations, and graphic novel adaptations thatexplore the world ofPacific Rim. While it’s all interesting, it’s thePacific Rimfeature films that are the tentpoles holding up the franchise and that’s whyany rumors aboutPacific Rim 3are met with excitement. Unfortunately, rumors are exactly what they are.
Why There Will Not Be A Pacific Rim 3
No One In Production Has Spoken About The Sequel And Guillermo Del Toro Wouldn’t Direct
Despite there being plenty of story to mine in thePacific Rimuniverse, there has been no positive news aboutPacific Rim 3.The studio has yet to comment on anything regarding aPacific Rimsequel toUprising, but Legendary Pictures has its hands full with itsMonsterverse movies and showsthat don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon and which are clearly satiating the appetite fans have for massive creatures slugging one another in the face.
The Real Reason Why Guillermo Del Toro Didn’t Direct Pacific Rim 2 (& Why He Can’t Watch It)
Guillermo del Toro shares the surprising reason he didn’t direct Pacific Rim: Uprising, also revealing why he never watched the sequel.
OnlyGuillermo del Toro has commented on his thoughts aboutPacific Rim 3, and the director has made his feelings perfectly clear. He said in anXcomment that he would personally love to see his Jaegers go up against the monsters in the Legendary universe. However, he made it clear that he would not be the one to bring the franchises together,
“Talking only as a fan BTW - NO plans to return.”
With no one seemingly interested on the production and directing side,it’s unlikely thatPacific Rim 3will be coming to theaters or streaming anytime soon.
The Cast Would Return If A Sequel Is Ever Made
Charlie Hunnam Wants To Work With Guillermo Del Toro Again
While Guillermo del Toro doesn’t appear to have any interest in returning to thePacific Rimfranchise, the star of the first movie,Charlie Hunnam, who plays Raleigh Becket, has said that he would be willing to doPacific Rim 3if del Toro invited him. He said in his interview withInverse, in response to the question, “Would you ever do a ‘Pacific Rim 3’ if you had the chance?”,
“I would do anything that Guillermo was doing. If Guillermo invites me to do ‘Pacific Rim 3’, I’ll be there or anything else he wants me to do.”
Hunnam is the only actor to mention he would be willing to return forPacific Rim 3, and even his comments hint that he doesn’t find the likelihood of the film high. When asked aboutPacific Rim 3,he’s clearly more interested in the idea of working with del Toro again. The project is an afterthought. It seems from this interview that Hunnam has not put a lot of thought into appearing in aPacific Rimsequel and would appear in it, almost with bemusement, just for the chance to work with del Toro again.
IfPacific Rim 3does start gaining traction, it could be the perfect opportunity for the director and actor to reunite.
Charlie Hunnam clearly holds his partnership with Guillermo del Toro in high regard, and he’s starred in two of the gothic horror director’s movies:Pacific RimandCrimson Peak. IfPacific Rim 3does start gaining traction, it could be the perfect opportunity for the director and actor to reunite.
Multiple Fan-Made Trailers Have Caused Confusion
These Trailers Combine Footage From Other Monster Movies
One of the reasonsPacific Rim 3is even being talked about in serious terms is becausethere have been numerous fan trailers made over the years, supposedly advertising for the upcomingPacific Rimsequel. These trailers can be found with a simple Google search and these searches also lead to plenty of message boards filled with people asking if the trailers are real, then grumbling once they learn they are fake. Whether it’sPacific Rim 3: ApocalypseorPacific Rim 3: End of War, these movies don’t exist, and neither do their trailers.
These fake trailers generally combine scenes from the firstPacific RimandPacific Rim Uprisingalong with title cards and music to give the impression of an all-new movie. Some of these trailers even use scenes from otherunderwater horror and monster movies, likeUnderwaterandThe Meg, as a way to make it look like new footage. It’s not always easy to tell a fake trailer, particularly one pitched as a teaser, butif over half the footage is old, it’s a pretty good bet that the trailer is a fake one.
Pacific Rim Is Returning In Comic Form, Thanks To Kickstarter
Pacific Rim: Final Breach Is Set After The Films
Along with the TV show and movies, there are also fivePacific Rimgraphic novels.Pacific Rim: Tales From Year Zero,Pacific Rim: Tales From the Drift,Pacific Rim: Blackout,Pacific Rim Aftermath, andPacific Rim: Amaraall take place at different points in thePacific Rimtimeline, offering up the events leading up to the films or showing what was going on in other parts of the world at the same time as the events occurring duringPacific RimandPacific Rim Uprising. There is no continuity between the books, so readers can jump in at any point.
Now, another graphic novel is reportedly on its way. Legendary Comics, a subsidiary of Legendary Entertainment, is responsible for publishing thePacific Rimgraphic novels and on June 10, 2025, they began aKickstarterfor a new project:Pacific Rim: Final Breach.Final Breachwill be a three-volume graphic novel set after the events of the first two movies. In the books, Jake Pentecost and Hermann Gottlieb conceive of a last-ditch effort to close the trans-dimensional rift and end the Kaiju encroachments forever.
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Fall 2027
To do so, they’ll need the help of the famous Jaeger pilot, Raleigh Becket, who disappeared afterthe events of the firstPacific Rim.The Kickstarter ended up being fully funded by August 13, with 1564 backers pledging $200,202towards the project, earning special, limited-edition rewards while they did so. The books will be written by Joshua Fialkov (Netflix’s live-actionAvatar: The Last Airbender) with art by EJ Su (Transformers). The first volume is tentatively scheduled for October 2025. It may not bePacific Rim 3, but at least the story will be completed.
Pacific Rim
ThePacific Rimfranchise is a sci-fi action series centered around humanity’s battle against giant, monstrous creatures known as Kaiju. To combat these threats, humans pilot massive robots called Jaegers. The franchise began with the 2013 film directed by Guillermo del Toro and has since expanded into sequels, an animated series, comic books, and more, blending elements of mecha anime and kaiju films.
