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WonderCon 2013: Pacific Rim

Saturday was considered the most important day for WonderCon, at least as far as movie geeks were concerned, but the presentation for the new film from director Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth), the giant robots versus giant monsters movie known as Pacific Rim, was easily one of the most anticipated events of the whole weekend.  While the no one from the cast made an appearance, people familiar with Guillermo del Toro should know well enough that he does not need a whole lot of help from others to really have him deliver an entertaining panel, given his charismatic personality, wonderful Mexican accent, and his hilarious use of swear words when talking about his passions.  Read on to learn more about what audiences were treated to as far as Pacific Rim is concerned, with its summer release date looming on the horizon.

Pacific Rim was the second part of the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures panel at WonderCon 2013 and it was the reason that many wanted to attend the festivities on Saturday.  Guillermo del Toro arrived on stage to a roar of an applause, because the geeks (including me) love del Toro and he knows how to make the people happy.  Things got underway quite quickly as del Toro introduced a brand new trailer for the film, which was intended for WonderCon audiences only, but he does have another trailer on the way as well (he also made sure to show us this awesome footage again, at the end of the panel).

I will post the original trailer below, as that is still the only trailer currently available online, but this new trailer reveals more about the story, as we get more context as to how humans have been handling the presence of giant monsters ravaging earth and what they have done to stop it.  We also go to see some of Charlie Day (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Horrible Bosses) and what to expect from his role.  The majority of the trailer had a lot of big action moments though, and it is not like that’s not what the audience wanted to see.  Footage of the robots (Jaegers) fighting, falling, space fighting!, and acquiring weapons (an oil tanker) to use against the monsters (Kaiju) was seen and it was all pretty fantastic.  The tagline for the film is apparently “Go big, or go extinct” and that seems to be pretty accurate as far as the footage seen has been concerned so far. Update: The WonderCon Footage Is Now Available To See!

The rest of the panel was just a lot of talk from del Toro, but since he is such a fun guy to listen to, that really didn’t matter.  A few various bits of information were learned based on questions from moderator Drew McWeeney of HitFix and from questions by audience members.  The film is about 85% complete, as del Toro and his crew are still finishing up visual effects and work on sound mixing.  Ron Perlman is in the film and he apparently plays a black market dealer of Kaiju organs.  There will be emphasis on the world that these characters live in, given that things must have changed after the arrival of Kaiju.  Regarding the Kaiju, del Toro made mention (and a self-deprecating fat joke) of the use of motion capture.  He said that the weight and movement of the Kaiju is far too complicated to be captured with that process, so he opted against that technique.  Del Toro also described Pacific Rim as his best experience working on a movie.  Lastly, there will be a prequel comic to provide a little more context for those who really can’t wait for the film.  I have more details on that provide further below.

I have been excited for Pacific Rim since del Toro wowed audiences last summer at Comic Con with a sizzle reel of footage from the film, so this did enough to keep my excitement at a high level for the time being, though it is not like that is really going to change.

Here’s the official synopsis for Pacific Rim:

From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes “Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim.”

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

 

Oscar® nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) is directing the epic sci- fi action adventure from a script by Travis Beacham (“Clash of the Titans”) and del Toro, story by Beacham. Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, del Toro and Mary Parent are producing, with Callum Greene serving as executive producer.

The film stars Charlie Hunnam (TV’s “Sons of Anarchy”), Idris Elba (“Thor”), Rinko Kikuchi (“The Brothers Bloom”), Charlie Day (“Horrible Bosses”), and Ron Perlman (the “Hellboy” films). The ensemble cast also includes Robert Kazinsky, Max Martini, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Brad William Henke and Diego Klattenhoff.

Del Toro’s behind-the-scenes team includes Academy Award®-winning director of photography Guillermo Navarro, production designer Andrew Neskoromny, editor Peter Amundson, and costume designer Kate Hawley.

Slated for release July 12, 2013, the film is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Here’s an official description of the prequel comic:

Legendary Comics and Pacific Rim director Guillermo del Toro gave WonderCon attendees a surprise treat today as they revealed the cover art for the graphic novel, PACIFIC RIM: TALES FROM YEAR ZERO. The fully-painted cover was created by Alex Ross.

Hitting stores June 5, PACIFIC RIM: TALES FROM YEAR ZERO serves as a prequel to the highly-anticipated motion picture –Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim.  Chronicling the very first time Earth is menaced by incredible monsters known as Kaiju, these inhuman beasts rise from the ocean depths and threaten to extinguish all mankind! Witness the race to develop massive robot fighting machines called Jaegers, each one controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. This action-packed book features many of the key characters from the film as we follow them in their early careers. Written by Pacific Rim screenwriter himself, Travis Beacham, and with del Toro’s hands-on supervision, this volume is beautifully illustrated by Sean Chen, Yvel Guichet, and Pericles Junior; inks by Steve Bird and Mark McKenna.

Pacific Rim Arrives In Theaters Everywhere On July 12, 2013

Check Out The Trailer Here:

 

  
  
Aaron is a writer/reviewer for WhySoBlu.com.  Follow him on Twitter @AaronsPS3.
He also co-hosts a podcast,
Out Now with Aaron and Abe, available via iTunes or at HHWLOD.com.

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