A Breakdown of How the Jaegers and Kaiju Were Digitally Constructed for Pacific Rim Uprising

Aaron Gilman, DNEG Animation supervisor for Pacific Rim Uprising, takes us behind the scenes of the animation work on the Jaegers and Kaiju. It’s always extraordinary to see how artists put together very unrealistically animated films, especially when there are 240-foot Jaeger monsters and their 300-foot rivals that partake in massive city destruction. In a Behind the VFX clip, Gilman explains a step-by-step description of the animation process,

Pacific Rim: Uprising‘s VFX Supervisor on Creating 300-Foot Monsters in Photo-Realistic backdrops

When he was a British schoolboy, Peter Chiang used to stand in the local bookstore staring at the covers of science fiction paperbacks and dreaming about fantastical scenarios. “I just loved the imagery,” says Chiang. “I started illustrating space ships and monsters and creatures, growing up on Thunderbirds sci-fi cartoon series here in the UK, and watching Blade Runner, which had a huge impact on my life. I remember thinking ‘I want to do that.'”

How the Pacific Rim: Uprising Director Lured Star John Boyega to Star in the Sequel

We’ve already written one story today about how scheduling conflicts can vastly change a film. In the case of Pacific Rim: Uprising, the scheduling conflict was huge—Charlie Hunnam, the star from Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 Pacific Rim‘s—was no longer able to reprise his role in the sequel. In a great interview with i09, director Steven DeKnight discussed how they turned this possible disaster into a major win by eventually casting John Boyega.

Monsters and Newly Vibrant and Nimble Jaegers Collide in new Pacific Rim Uprising Trailer

Behold the new trailer for Pacific Rim Uprising, the sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 film starring The Last Jedi‘s John Boyega as Jake Pentecost. One of the most striking things about this new trailer are the upgrade to the colossal mech saviors the Jaegers—they are more colorful, much swifter, and much more streamlined than del Toro’s lumbering mech-beasts. In fact, these new Jaegers owe about as much stylistically to Michael Bay’s improbably lightning-quick Transformers as they do to del Toro’s lovingly (and practically) rendered saviors.

John Boyega Shares New Details About Pacific Rim: Uprising

There’s nothing to distract a budding actor from their dream of starring in a Guillermo del Toro blockbuster like being cast in the Star Wars reboot. Such was the case for John Boyega who says he had his eye on a role in Pacific Rim before being cast as Finn in The Force Awakens.

Boyega is currently filming Pacific Rim: Uprising and opened up to Coming Soon about eyeing the role he finally landed.

Comic-Con 2017: See John Boyega’s Character in Pacific Rim: Uprising for First Time

We’ll take even the briefest look at John Boyega in Pacific Rim: Uprising when we can get it. And finally, we’ve got it.  Boyega plays Jake Pentecost in the sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s 2013 original, in which massive, human-led Jaegers (mountain-sized robots, more or less) fought off legions of monstrous creatures called Kaiju. In Uprising, the war between humans and Kaiju rages on, and Boyega’s Pentecost will be one of the heroes humanity looks to stop the monsters.

First Look at John Boyega in Pacific Rim: Uprising

One major film franchise is hardly enough for rising star John Boyega. Already set to reprise his role as the rogue Stormtrooper Finn in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Boyega is also starring in the upcoming Pacific Rim: Uprising. Boyega plays Jake Pentecost, son of Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba’s character from the first film), a jaeger pilot just like his noble and heroic pop. Boyega was kind enough to share the first official look at