John Boyega, who received critical acclaim for portraying the character of Finn in last year's "Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens," has been confirmed to play the lead role in Legendary Pictures' "Pacific Rim 2."
Boyega has reportedly been cast as the son of Idris Elba's character Stacker Pentecost from the original movie. Though the plot of the film has not been revealed yet, Boyega's addition suggests the movie will follow the events of the first film where monster-fighting giant suits known as Jaegers were created for battling gigantic alien sea creatures.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the movie will be directed by Steven S Deknight based on the story created by Guillermo del Toro and Travis Beacham. The sequel will be produced by Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni and del Toro. Cale Boyter will be the executive producer and it will be distributed by Universal Pictures across the world.
Talking about Boyega's role in the sequel, Legendary Pictures' vice-chairman of worldwide production Mary Parent told THR: "It is undeniable that with all his talent and natural charm, John stands out amongst today's generation of young leading men."
The first "Pacific Rim" movie was directed by del Toro and released in July 2013. It starred Elba and Charlie Hunnam as the protagonists and earned $411 million worldwide.
Del Toro has supported Boyega's casting, saying: "I am very proud and happy to welcome John into a fantastic sandbox. The 'Pacific Rim' universe will be reinforced with him as a leading man as it continues to be a multicultural, multi-layered world. 'The World saving the world' was our goal and I couldn't think of a better man for the job."
Apart from "Pacific Rim 2," Boyega's upcoming projects include the Dave Eggers adaptation of "The Circle" with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson, "Imperial Dreams" and "Watership Down," alongside James McAvoy and Sir Ben Kingsley.
