Monster movie makeover: Pacific Rim 2 brings in Jurassic World writer

Making Pacific Rim 2 seems to be almost as difficult battling Kaiju. However, in spite of the obstacles the sequel to the 2013 monster movie has faced, the project is pressing on. Jurassic World co-writer Derek Connolly has been brought on board to work on the screenplay, reports THR.

Connolly seems to be something of a specialist when it comes to terrifying creatures. After Jurassic World‘s massive box office success, he was tapped for the upcoming sequel as well. Beyond dinosaurs, he penned the screenplay for Kong: Skull Island, which is due out in 2017. He also wrote the forthcoming DreamWorks sci-fi drama Intelligent Life.

The extent to which Connolly will be reworking the Pacific Rim 2 script is unclear. Guillermo del Toro, the director and co-writer of the original, Zak Penn, and Jon Spaihts have all worked on earlier drafts, according to THR. Del Toro previously collaborated with Travis Beacham on the Pacific Rim screenplay.

Plot details for the sequel are being kept under wraps, but we can safely expect another battle royale between man and monster.  The original is set in the 2020s and centers on washed-up pilot Raleigh Becket (played by Charlie Hunnam) and trainee Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi). The two have to overcome the deadly monsters using humanoid mechas called Jaegers.

In addition to the shakeup that led to Connolly joining the project, the director role has recently changed hands. Del Toro was originally set to helm the film, but Daredevil showrunner Steven DeKnight was announced as the new director in February. Del Toro remains part of the project as a producer, alongside Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, and Jon Jashni.

At this point, all we can do is hope that Connolly and DeKnight takes the film in an interesting direction — and that it finally makes its way to theaters soon.