We just checked, and it was almost exactly a year ago today that we learned Pacific Rim 2’s production had been “halted indefinitely.” That news totally bummed out hard-core fans—otherwise known as Jaegermeisters—but the disappointment didn’t last for long. Legendary Pictures rallied and managed to find a director and a screenwriter in quick succession. Sure, it probably would have been even quicker if Legendary had just stuck with Guillermo Del Toro on both counts, but we guess that’s just the way the really tall buildings along the coast crumble when there are giant monsters and robots fighting.
Legendary remained on a roll when it nabbed John Boyega as the lead back in June. Just a month later, Charlie Hunnam announced he’d be too busy dealing with the Lady Of The Lake to return for Pacific Rim 2, which is now known as Pacific Rim: Maelstrom. That’s according to Variety, which has also learned that up-and-coming pop singer Cailee Spaeny will play the female lead. Spaeny’s also appeared in the thriller short Counting To 1000 and recently wrapped something called The Shoes. She’ll presumably be joining Boyega, whose character is the son of Idris Elba’s fallen hero from the original, in a Jaeger to play the toughest game of Dance Dance Revolution ever.
The Variety article also notes that Scott Eastwood, of the Clint Eastwoods, will co-star with Boyega and Spaeny. The Fast 8 actor should have no problem fitting into the Maelstrom franchise, which has nowhere near as storied a history as the one behind his other, more candy-assed movie family.