PACIFIC RIM 2 Delay Confirmed, Production Halted Indefinitely

The Hollywood Reporter has published a behind-the-scenes look at the relationship between Universal, Legendary Pictures, and Warner Bros., and it's fascinating stuff if you follow the business side of the industry. I'd recommend reading the whole thing if you have time, but for those who are only looking for the highlight reel, the most important aspect that came to the forefront involves the future of Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim 2: Maelstrom.

A report last week indicated that production on the sequel had been delayed until sometime in 2016, but THR says "the project has been halted indefinitely and will be pushed back (if it gets made at all)." That last part may be speculation on their part, but it might be an assessment coming from talks with sources close to the studio; basically at this point, the future of the movie is anything but assured. This could very easily turn into another one of those projects that falls into development hell and ends up never being made, despite getting inches from the starting line.

This is confirmation that the film is in big trouble, and my hope is for one of two outcomes: 1) Universal and Legendary change their minds and quickly set a new start date for Pacific Rim 2, or 2) that they immediately and definitively state that the film will never happen so del Toro doesn't have to waste any more time on it before ultimately moving on to his next project. If half of the things he's spent so much time developing actually came out, he'd be considered a prolific filmmaker instead of one who makes one movie every two to five years.