Scott Eastwood Tells Us Pacific Rim Uprising's Universal Message

Scott Eastwood stars in Pacific Rim Uprising as Nate Lambert, the former partner of John Boyega’s Jake Pentecost, son of the man responsible for “cancelling the apocalypse” ten years prior. Scott talks to us about sweaty uniforms, who he thinks Jules should have ended up with, and the idea of being the next Wolverine. After Pacific Rim Uprising, he’ll next be seen next in The Manuscript where he’ll star alongside Morgan Freeman.

Screen Rant: So when you jump onto a project like Pacific Rim, which is a huge project by the way, what's the pitch for you and what gets you invested into that?

Scott Eastwood: Well, it's got to be, you know, it's gotta be a cool story, it's gotta be a great character, it's got to have, you know, an interesting director. In this case those boxes were ticked you know? And I had the first movie that I was a fan of to reference, so I made it easier.

Screen Rant: Right, now what is something, what is the theme that you liked in the first movie that that book that got you on board?

Scott Eastwood: The theme of the world setting aside our bulls*** problems, coming together to fighting a common enemy.

Screen Rant: I love that.

Scott Eastwood: That's great and like that's cool, that that's something we can relate to right now. I mean, look, we've got a global water crisis right now right? That's a threat to mankind. If we can take a page out of this book, stop with our bullshit crap and just like fight for the things that really matter, you know?

Screen Rant: That's completely true, that's something, which is funny because it's something that Pacific Rim. . . you would normally think of like being a huge worldly problem, but that it's right on the head. You obviously have a wealth of projects behind you and you passed on a lot of wisdom to the some of these young cast members, anything in particular that you can talk about passing on to these young guys?

Scott Eastwood: Yes, show up, work hard every day, don't complain, you know, try to be easy to work with.

Screen Rant: I mean this is a huge VFX movie and I'm sure that there's a lot of like green screen and all that stuff involved and I'm sure it's long days and long hours, how was it doing that stuff and being in those suits for all that time?

Scott Eastwood: Oh man. . .

Screen Rant: Fun stories there?

Scott Eastwood: Those suits are sweaty, haha. They are sweaty. Yeah there was a lot lot of long days, but you know, I mean, we shot in great places, we were in Australia and China, so we got, you know . . . and the film was you know, had a big big cast in it so . . . It was spread out, there were days we had off and days we had. . . you know, so it was good, I thought it was a pretty good schedule.

Screen Rant: With every role I'm sure that there's something you take from it you learn from it and what can you take away from Pacific Rim Uprising?

Scott Eastwood: I think that doing films, doing big global films like this with multicultural casts are really important, especially in this day and age.

Screen Rant: I completely agree.

Scott Eastwood: I think it's cool, everyone's really represented well and I like that for a big global film.

Screen Rant: Now speaking about your character Lambert a little bit more . . . First of all your character comes off as the hard-ass Military guy, but by the end of it, your character's really likable, what aspects would you like to see in the third one, in the third Pacific Rim that you'd like to bring out of that character?

Scott Eastwood: I'd like to go deeper, there was a lot that didn't make the final cut of this movie with my character-

Screen Rant: Oh really?

Scott Eastwood: Yeah, you know that happens though it's a big film, trying to cram everything into, you know, two hours, a lot of story line, a lot of action, I'd like to see deeper, I'd like to, you know, find out the insecurities of Lambert and go a little deeper.

Screen Rant: Now obviously, drift compatibility is a big part of this movie and the third film, if we get to see more of Lambert, who would you want to see him be drift compatible with a Yeager? Because it seems like John's character is now with Amara, so who do you think would be his copilot - Lambert's?

Scott Eastwood: Uhhh. . .

Screen Rant: Jules maybe?

Scott Eastwood: *laughing* Yeah someone easy on the eyes right?

Screen Rant: Now I was talking to Steven earlier and he said that when he wrote the Jules character there was a version that she goes off with Lambert, there's a version that she goes off and Jake, who do you think that Jules would have chose.

Scott Eastwood: Not gonna say names or anything. . .

Screen Rant: But there you go.. . Working with John, you guys have such great chemistry and it just seemed like you guys were instantly brothers, like that had like that sibling rivalry, you know what I mean?

Scott Eastwood: Sure

Screen Rant: How quick was it to acclimate to that real quick?

Scott Eastwood: It was pretty quick, we get along great and I think we saw the movie in the same sort of way so that makes things easy.

Screen Rant: Were you were you a big fan of like Mechs or any of that like Robotech or that Gundam stuff growing up?

Scott Eastwood: Yeah, yeah I was I was a huge fan . . . I was a more fan like monster movies like Godzilla, but yeah I totally geek out over that stuff.

Screen Rant: What was your favorite Jaeger?

Scott Eastwood: Gypsy, Gypsy come on.

Screen Rant: I like Scrapper, Scrapper is so cool, it's such a cool like . . . character . . . I guess they are kind of characters. . .

Scott Eastwood: They are.

Screen Rant: I think they're more than just Mechs.

Scott Eastwood: They're definitely characters.

Screen Rant: Where would you personally like to see your character go, like for the future iterations, I know that you want to said you want to dig deeper, but what exactly do you want to see out of Lambert?

Scott Eastwood: I'd like to see like his personal life, what he has in his dreams and things that maybe he gets he's done with the fight too and maybe he's got to get roped back . . . maybe John's character gotta rope him back.

Screen Rant: That's interesting.

Scott Eastwood: You know?

Screen Rant: So we understand- I understand why Jake joins up, he's almost forced to do because his dad was a was a part of the group, but why do you think Lambert joined up to begin with?

Scott Eastwood: So I think they were growing up in that world together and this wonderful and they were best buds and you know, my character stayed the course and his character you know, took off because he had issues with his father.

Screen Rant: This is Steven's like big first film and obviously comes from. . . he's shaped some of the best television on in the last ten years, what did you learn from him?

Scott Eastwood: Steven had some great ideas how to advance the film into, you know, a decade past the original film, I thought it was really interesting, his ideas about that.

Screen Rant: I got a buddy named Jack Guzman that says 'hi'.

Scott Eastwood: Ohhh my gosh, it's been a long time.

Screen Rant: What are some other genres that you would like to explore as an actor? I know you've done obviously a lot of these action movies and stuff like that, but is there anything that you want to explore more?

Scott Eastwood: Yeah, great dramas. I'm doing a psychological thriller next.

Screen Rant: Morgan Freeman, right?

Scott Eastwood: Yep! It's like a psychological thriller heist movie so I'm pretty excited about that, but that's a cool, I think it's a cool genre that I've never done. Comedy. I definitely want to do more comedy.

Screen Rant: Yeah I would love to see the Scott Eastwood more comedic side I think. You've obviously done Suicide Squad and now this is a big tentpole film as well, do you have any interest in continuing in the superhero genre, even the sci-fi genre?

Scott Eastwood: Yeah, definitely! I mean, you know, if that the opportunity presents itself or you know it's a great opportunity, I'd 100% want to.

Screen Rant: Because a lot of people have fancasted you as Wolverine, have you heard this?

Scott Eastwood: I've heard this.

Screen Rant: What do you think about that?

Scott Eastwood: I love Wolverine, he's one my favorite comic book characters.

Screen Rant: Is he?

Scott Eastwood: Of all time.

Screen Rant: Really?

Scott Eastwood: Yeah, he's a renegade. Total badass renegade, he's kind of a . . . you know, a loose cannon and doesn't play by the rules, he's you know the kind of character that I love.

Screen Rant: So you would if you got that call, you'd totally be down for the Wolverine?

Scott Eastwood: 100%.

Screen Rant: Now have you ever wanted to. . . like John came on this is as a producer, is there anything that you'd be interested in doing on some of these franchises?