‘Pacific Rim 2’ Is Back On Track, Will ‘Sons Of Anarchy’ Star Charlie Hunnam Reprise His Role As Raleigh Becket?

Following the success of Pacific Rim, fans have long awaited for official confirmation of a sequel. While it’s been some three years since the release of the original, it now appears as though Pacific Rim 2 is back on track. The only question remaining is whether or not Sons of Anarchy star Charlie Hunnam will reprise his role in the upcoming film.

For starters, Variety is reporting that Legendary Pictures has hired Steven S. DeKnight to helm Pacific Rim 2. DeKnight is known for his work on Netflix’s Daredevil and Starz’s Spartacus. Pacific Rim 2 will be his first major film to date.

While Guillermo del Toro directed the first film, he will act as one of the producers for the sequel, alongside Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, and Jon Jashni. Jon Spaihts is set write the screenplay for the movie.

At this point, it isn’t clear how many members of the original cast will return for the sequel. The original characters were played by Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Robert Kazinsky, Ron Pearlman, and Rinko Kikuchi.

According to Movie Web, Pacific Rim centered on the story of a fight between a group of machines and monsters. The monsters, known as Kaiju, initiated the battle with humans, who created massive machines named Jaegers to help defeat the creatures. With humanity on the verge of losing the fight against the Kaiju, the earth’s final hope rested in a former pilot (Hunnam) and a trainee (Kikuchi).

None of the cast members have confirmed or denied their involvement in the new film. However, Hunnam discussed his part in Pacific Rim in a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly. While Hunnam explained how the movie was exciting to be a part of, he admitted that more character development would have been nice.

“I think world creation and monster creation and all of that stuff is exciting as a secondary element of storytelling. When it becomes more important than storytelling, I get very nervous, and you sort of lose me a little bit. Although we tried very hard on Pacific Rim to marry those two elements, I do feel like ultimately it got weighed heavier on the side of spectacle than storytelling.”

Considering his comments, it’s unclear if the Sons of Anarchy alum will consider reprising his role in the highly anticipated sequel. If filmmakers manage to create a story that is more centered on the characters than the fighting, then perhaps Hunnam will agree to give it another go. After all, he does have a good relationship with del Toro.

Meanwhile, there is a certain level of expectation that has already been on the film. According to Cinema Blend, the first movie managed to bring in around $400 million in global ticket sales. The majority of these sales were from international markets, with the movie garnering slightly over $100 million in the United States. The budget for the film was just under $200 million, making it a success, but not a large one. Although the details of the new storyline are vague, it is known that the movie will be placed a few years ahead of the events in the first film. Apparently, the focus will be on the Kaiju and the world as it stands without the need of the Jaegers. How this translates to the characters is unknown at this time.

Pacific Rim 2 was originally slated for an August 4, 2017 release. However, that release date was eventually cancelled following delays in production. As of now, the movie does not have an official premiere date scheduled, though fans can expect it out at some point in 2017.

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[Image via Warner Bros]