After a disappointing opening weekend in the United States, chances for a sequel to Guillermo Del Toro’s awesome new movie ‘Pacific Rim’ were slim. Sure, they planned for a larger international box office draw, but I don’t think anyone thought that it would do worse than ‘Grown Ups 2’. But despite the terrible outing in the States, the Jaegers and Kaijus raked in $9 million in China giving Warner Bros. their biggest opening in that country ever. With more international markets still set to open later this month, the momentum for a second installment is certainly building.
Deadline reports that the increased global interest in ‘Pacific Rim’ bodes well for fans hoping to see a follow up. More than half of the world is still waiting to see the film, so chances are that numbers could get even better, however, it’s still uncertain if the film will make a profit since Industrial Light & Magic CGI does not come cheap at somewhere between $180 – $220 million. Hopefully other markets such as Spain, Brazil, and Japan continue the trend that China started.
While these international numbers are a very good omen, another factor that may hinder a sequel is Legendary Pictures’ recent break up with WB. Now in a relationship with Universal Pictures, Legendary owns most of ‘Pacific Rim’, but since Warner Bros. helped to finance the movie, they have some stock in the franchise as well. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out if a sequel gets the green light.
Negativity aside, the studios can’t ignore that there is significant interest for another ‘Pacific Rim’. Del Toro already has a story in his back pocket, so I’m sure he’s ready to go once he gets the go ahead. Hopefully it comes sooner rather than later before the busy director gets too tied up in his many upcoming projects.
Are you clamoring for a ‘Pacific Rim’ sequel? Do you think that it will be successful enough worldwide to warrant one? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comment section.
