Why Guillermo Del Toro Refuses To Watch Pacific Rim 2

«Pacific Rim Uprising» could have been a natural selection for Guillermo del Toro’s next film, but fate seemed to intervene. The director had designs on directing the sequel, though it all fell apart in the pre-production stage. Del Toro further explained to Collider that when it came time to book sound stages for shooting, he had to step away.

«They had to give a deposit for the stages at 5 p.m., or we would lose the stages in Toronto for many months. So, I said, ‘Don’t forget we’re gonna lose the stages,’ and five o’clock came and went, and we lost the stages,» he recalled. «They said, ‘Well, we can shoot it in China.’ And I go, ‘What do you mean we?’ [Laughs] ‘I’ve gotta go do ‘Shape of Water.’» The director’s decision to step away from the production in favor of a different project was probably for the best.

The 2017 film «Shape of Water,» which is essentially a romanticized version of «The Creature From the Black Lagoon,» far exceeded the reception of the «Pacific Rim» sequel. Detailing the love story between a disenfranchised woman, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), and a humanoid amphibian suffering unjust experimentation blew audiences out of the water. Nominated for 13 Academy Awards and winning best picture and best director, there is no doubt del Toro made the right choice. The stirring emotional story will be remembered for years to come.