Pacific Rim Franchise Revived With Prequel Series

Pacific Rim, released in 2013, jumpstarted a beloved franchise filled with giant mechs, called Jaegers, fighting massive kaiju rising from a portal in the Pacific Ocean. The original film was directed by Guillermo del Toro and served as an homage to the Japanese monster movies from the late 20th century. The film was produced by Legendary Pictures and earned an impressive worldwide total of $411 million at the box office.

In 2018, a sequel titled Pacific Rim: Uprising was released, and in 2021, an original anime series titled Pacific Rim: The Black was made available to stream on Netflix. So, while the franchise has kept itself fairly busy since the release of the original movie, Legendary Entertainment’s Pacific Rim prequel will offer a unique perspective on the kaiju-infested universe.

In response to the news of the Pacific Rim prequel, diehard fans joke on social media that they can’t believe it has taken over ten years to finally release a follow-up to the original movie. In the fandom, Pacific Rim: Uprising is largely regarded as a failure, and many choose to ignore its existence due to its terrible reception. Making new content for such a critical fanbase can be challenging, and Eric Heisserer may have to pull out all the stops to make sure that this prequel series leaves audiences satisfied.

While Heisserer is best known for his work in movies, he also has had previous success in television as well. From 2021 to 2023, he served as the writer and executive producer for Netflix’s Shadow and Bone series, adapted from the Grishaverse novels written by Leigh Bardugo.

Despite being canceled after its second season due to complications during the SAG-AFTRA strike, the series is still largely regarded as successful, and many believe the denial of a third season is a big mistake. It is safe to say that whether in front of the silver screen or living room TV, Eric Heisserer knows how to create engaging and well-conceived content.

As of now, a projected release date for the Pacific Rim prequel series has yet to be announced, and it is unlikely that production has even started yet. Until Legendary Entertainment releases more news, fans must remain patient and carry the hope that Heisserer will treat the franchise well. For those who are solely fans of Eric Heisserer and are unfamiliar with the Pacific Rim franchise, the original movie is available to rent and/or buy on Apple TV or Amazon Prime.