After having his adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness scuttled by the Universal over budgetary concerns, Guillermo del Toro moved onto his next project, Pacific Rim – a sci-fi throwback to anime and Kaiju movies, a la Godzilla. Now, Warner Bros. has released the first official synopsis for the film, which helps (marginally) flesh out the meager premise we've had our hands on for nearly a year.

 

Scroll down to check out the official synopsis:

 

From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic sci-fi action adventure '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 'Pacific Rim' from a script by Travis Beacham ('Clash of the Titans'). Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni 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 Max Martini, Robert Kazinsky, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Diego Klattenhoff, and Brad William Henke.

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 in Summer 2013, 'Pacific Rim' is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

It's hard to imagine Charlie Hunnam (Undeclared, Sons of Anarchy) as anything akin to a washed-up pilot – not that he can't play tough, he just has a very "boy-ish" look about him. Then again, maybe in the world of Pacific Rim, they start their pilots extremely young.

Idris Elba Pacific Rim

Indiewire notes that Idris Elba will be playing Lieutenant-Commander Stacker Pentecost – previously just "Sensei," a role created for Tom Cruise – commanding officer of the washed-up former pilot played by Hunnam. I foresee a lot of yelling on his part.

This film sounds like it could really be a blast (what with the anime and monster movie tropes), particularly if the ensemble is a major focus. I'd very much like to see something more than supporting roles for the likes of Elba, Charlie Day, and Ron Pearlman, in spite of the importance of Hunnam and Kikuchi as mankind's last hope.

Perhaps most interesting is the fact that this is relatively new territory for del Toro – his typical playground is more fantasy-based with an infusion of horror. The closest he's come to science-fiction was probably Hellboy 1 and 2, which were, strictly-speaking, more fantasy and horror than sci-fi. Even Mimic, which was about monster-insects threatening mankind's very existence, seems (aesthetically) to be in an entirely different universe from Pacific Rim.

Speaking of what we know - when are we going to see a trailer for this thing?

Are you guys looking forward to Pacific Rim, Screen Ranters? Drop us a line in the comments.

Pacific Rim is set to hit theaters July 12th, 2013.

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Source: Indiewire