It was recently announced that Henry Cavill is joining the cast of Amazon MGM’sVoltron,which is especially exciting because this giant robot movie could finally do whatPacific Rimnever could. Although sci-fi is a vast and creative genre, there are many tropes and storylines that are particularly popular among audiences. One of those ismovies about giant robots, or mechas.FromTransformersto thePower Rangers,mechas have captivated viewersfor decades. Now, Amazon MGM is preparing to take advantage of this beloved trope in a way that other franchises have unfortunately failed.
One franchise that could be considered a failure in some ways inPacific Rim.First released in 2013,Pacific Rimisa sci-fi monster filmset in a world wherehumans are at war with the Kaiju, massive sea monsters from another dimension. In order to save Earth, society creates Jaegers, which are huge humanoid robots that can fight off the Kaiju. The story follows a Jaeger pilot’s final attempt to take down the monsters. Despite being the start of a potentially awesome franchise,Pacific Rimended up ebbing away after just two movies, leaving countless viewers desperately wanting more.
Cavill’s Voltron Can Be The Giant Robot Movie Franchise Pacific Rim Couldn’t Be
How Voltron Will Be Like Pacific Rim
Pacific Rimdidn’t develop into a significant franchise, butCavill’sVoltronmoviemay be able to pick up wherePacific Rimleft off.Voltronoriginated as an animated television series inspired by several different Japanese anime, which premiered in 1984. Following its initial release,Voltroncontinuously returned to television throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2010s, resulting in about six differentVoltronseries. Notably, the live action film has been in development since 2007. Overall, the story follows a troop of space explorers who pilot a mecha called Voltron.
Move Over Transformers, Hollywood Is About To Get A New Giant Robot Franchise
Amazon Prime Video’s live-action Voltron film with Henry Cavill may be the next Transformers, but it could also become so much more.
AlthoughVoltronhas a significantly different premise fromPacific Rim,it is easy to see how the two franchises are chasing the same goal.BothVoltronandPacific Rimaim to impress audiences with huge mechasand evil monsters.Voltronmay take place in space, but in some ways,Pacific Rim’sfuturistic version of Earth feels like an entirely different planet. All in all, both franchises are interested in the relationship between humans and technology, the creation of massive mechas, and the fight to save humanity against otherworldly entities.
The Pacific Rim Franchise Wasn’t A Failure (But Only Got Two Movies In 11 Years)
Pacific Rim’s Future Explained
To be clear,Pacific Rimwas not a complete failure of a franchise. The first movie in particular was actually a pretty big success. Earning over $400 million at the box office and earning aRotten Tomatoesscore of 72%,Pacific Rimlaid down a solid foundation for the future.In reality, a number of different elements have led toPacific Rim’sdownfall: too much time between movies,a disappointingPacific Rimsequel, and a new director, among other things. In this way,Voltroncan be whatPacific Rimnever had the chance to be due to difficult external factors.
2013
2018
2021-2022
Pacific Rim Live Action
TBD
It should also be noted thatPacific Rimisn’t completely gone. In 2021, Netflix released an animated series calledPacific Rim: The Black,which acts as the third installment in the overarching franchise. The series earned two seasons and a 71% onRotten Tomatoes. On top of that, alive-actionPacific RimTV seriesis currently in development, though it is still early stages. Thus,Pacific Rimstill has time to reach its full potential, though the journey may look a bit differentthan expected.
How Voltron Will Be Different From Pacific Rim & Other Giant Robot Movies
Voltron’s Ambiance Explained
Voltroncertainly has the chance to set up an awesome new movie franchise just likePacific Rim,but in general, the upcoming moviewill feel quite a bit different from other mecha movies. Where giant robot movies are often quite edgy and dark, taking on themes of apocalypse and war,Voltronis a bit lighter. The franchise has often focused on bright colors and teamwork rather than the overarching conflict between mecha and monster. Because of this,Voltron’shuman characters will be a lot more important than in franchises like Transformers.
TheVoltronmovie will also star Daniel Quinn-Toye, who recently acted as Tom Holland’s understudy in the West End production ofRomeo and Juliet.
On top of that,Voltronwill definitely benefit from Cavill’s casting.Often, mecha movies cast major stars, i.e.Pacific Rim’sCharlie Hunnam and Idris Elba, but Cavill is a bit different. FromSupermantoThe Witchertohis upcoming reboot ofHighlander,Cavill is a pro at getting franchises off the ground. He is an actor that can bring in a lot of viewers, and his dedication to accuracy makes him a solid choice for such beloved source material. All in all,Voltronhas lots of tricks up its sleeve, and hopefully, it can avoid the tragic fate ofPacific Rim.
Pacific Rim
ThePacific Rimfranchise is a sci-fi action series centered around humanity’s battle against giant, monstrous creatures known as Kaiju. To combat these threats, humans pilot massive robots called Jaegers. The franchise began with the 2013 film directed by Guillermo del Toro and has since expanded into sequels, an animated series, comic books, and more, blending elements of mecha anime and kaiju films.
Voltron
Voltron is a multimedia franchise that began in 1984 with the animated Voltron TV series from creators Ted Koplar and Peter Keefe. The original series was an adaptation of the Japanese series Beast King Go-Lion, but since then, the franchise has grown to include multiple TV shows, video games, and comics.
