Next year, Legendary and Universal Pictures will unleash the Pacific Rim sequel, Pacific Rim Uprising to audiences and the year after that Legendary and Warner Brothets will release Godzilla 2 King of the Monsters and then Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020. Since the first Pacific Rim released in 2013 fans have been comparing the two cinematic universes and have been debating on whether or not the two should ever eventually cross over.
For years, the notion was shut down by those behind Pacific Rim because their original intentions for Pacific Rim were to create a completely new and self-sustaining universe which they could build on over time. The creators of Pacific Rim worked hard to keep the film out of the shadows of other high-profile monster movies such as Godzilla. However it would seem interest in such a cross-over has been ignited within Pacific Rim Uprising's director Steven DeKnight.
Speaking to Collider, DeKnight mentioned that this cross-over has been discussed and is a theoretical possibility. Theoretical, being the key word here:
I won’t say there’s an Easter Egg but there’s been a lot of discussion about that possibility [of crossing over]. Look I think it would be fantastic to have the Pacific Rim universe join Legendary’s Monster Universe, it seems like a natural step. And part of the big overall plan after the third movie we’ve talked about is that could happen, it’s always a possibility. It’s by far not a certainty; it’s merely theoretical at this point, but as a fan myself I would love to see that happen.
Now, before we jump to conclusions and assume DeKnight's interest means a cross-over is secured (which MANY news outlets are claiming) we need to look at the hurdles such a cross-over would face.
For one, Toho might not be for it. Remember, there were massive stipulations associated with Legendary, Warner Brothers and Godzilla rights holders Toho to bring Godzilla back to Hollywood. After Godzilla vs. Kong, if Legendary and Warner Bros. wish to continue the Monsterverse they will need to renegotiate a new deal with Toho - a deal which relies on the commercial and ciritcal success of the next two Godzilla movies.
Also, if such a cross-over was to take place, it would require Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers creating a distribution deal of their own, if not establishing a buy-out.
Not to mention, the timelines of the Monsterverse and Pacific Rim universe do not line up at all. A retelling or reboot of Godzilla within a cross-over universe would be required, especially depending on how the trilogy ends with Godzilla vs. Kong in 2020.
Those few points mentioned above plus Pacific Rim Uprising's box office performance and critical reactions will heavily weigh on the liklihood of this cross-over ever coming to fruition.
There are just so many factors at play with such a massive potential cross-over it seems extremely unlikely that the stars will allign in a way to grant such a fan service project. But for the sake of debate, let us know what you think about this possibility in the comments section.
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