In what is surely the best casting news in recent memory, John Boyega has been cast in the sequel to Pacific Rim. He will play the son of Stacker Pentecost, Idris Elba‘s character in the first movie.
Audiences have been begging for more John Boyega after he won hearts and minds as Finn in The Force Awakens. After six long and barren months with no Boyega-related announcements, Hollywood has finally shaped up.
Pacific Rim 2‘s future has been uncertain for the last couple of years, stuck in development hell. But while director Guillermo del Toro has handed the reins to former Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight, he’s still involved in the franchise—as evidenced by this cryptic tweet on Monday morning.
Movement in the breach- stay tuned…
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) June 6, 2016
With Boyega onboard, it sounds like Legendary Pictures is drawing closer to filming the sequel.
Speaking to Deadline, Guillermo del Toro said, “I am very proud and happy to welcome John into a fantastic sandbox. The Pacific Rim universe will be reinforced with him as a leading man as it continues to be a multicultural, multi-layered world. ‘The World saving the world’ was our goal and I couldn’t think of a better man for the job.”
I'll be taking on the Pacific Rim franchise with Steven S.Deknight directing. Very excited!
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) June 6, 2016
So happy! My company UpperRoom Productions founded by myself & @MrFemiOguns, will co-produce #PacificRim2 alongside @Legendary
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) June 6, 2016