Why Guillermo del Toro Quit Pacific Rim: Uprising
Guillermo del Toro was all set to direct the highly anticipated sequel to the hit film Pacific Rim, but unfortunately, he had to bow out due to a major setback in securing locations. Despite his enthusiasm and efforts, del Toro’s departure wasn’t due to personal reasons or creative differences, but rather a logistical challenge.
In an interview with Collider, Guillermo del Toro revealed that a missed payment and a conflicting obligation to another film forced him to step back from helming the Pacific Rim sequel. Del Toro explained, “We were getting ready to do it, it was different from the first, but it had a continuation of many of the things that I was trying to do. Then what happened is—I mean, this is why life’s crazy, right?—they had to give a deposit for the stages at 5pm or we would lose the stages in Toronto for many months. So, I said, ‘Don’t forget we’re gonna lose the stages,’ and five o’clock came and went, and we lost the stages. They said, ‘Well, we can shoot it in China.’ And I go, ‘What do you mean we?’ [Laughs] ‘I’ve gotta go do Shape of Water.'”
And so, instead of Guillermo del Toro taking the helm of Pacific Rim: Uprising, the opportunity went to Steven S. DeKnight, a former writer for shows like Spartacus and Angel. While the sequel still managed to earn nearly $300 million worldwide, it failed to achieve the same level of success as the original film. Had del Toro been in charge, it would have undoubtedly offered a different and potentially more successful movie-going experience.
Interestingly, Guillermo del Toro has never watched the Pacific Rim sequel, confessing, “I didn’t see the final movie because that’s like watching home movies from your ex-wife. It is terrible if they’re good and worse if they’re bad, or the opposite. You don’t wanna know. So, I didn’t see it. I did read the final script, and it was very different. Some of the elements were the same but very different.”
Despite missing out on directing the Pacific Rim sequel, Guillermo del Toro had a successful run with his film The Shape of Water, which received a staggering 13 Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Picture and Best Director for del Toro himself. It’s clear that his talent and creative vision continue to be recognized and celebrated.
As for the future of a monster showdown between del Toro’s kaiju and Godzilla/Kong, only time will tell if such a crossover will ever come to fruition. Until then, fans can only imagine the epic battles and incredible storytelling that del Toro could have brought to the Pacific Rim universe.
