With only two weeks to go till the July 12th release date of “Pacific Rim,” fans have begun to speculate just how well the big monster brawler will do at the box office. As recent reports have revealed, tracking has suggested that “Pacific Rim” may succumb to the Adam Sandler sequel “Grown Ups 2,” which opens the same weekend. It’s certainly dire news for fans of kaijus and robots, but Guillermo Del Toro isn’t taking the speculation sitting down.
On DelToroFilms, an official fansite for the acclaimed director, Del Toro took to the forums to try and restore faith to his loyal fans. And despite the rumblings around town that the monster movie might flop or under-perform, the director remains optimistic. “We are working on it. We concentrated on the core for a long time- but we are barely started on the campaign. I am seeing the ads now and I am seeing outdoors and we are now supplementing what we did with character or tone,” he wrote. “We just need to keep working. Our numbers are going up. Not in a minor way. Significant. We are one the right track.”
However, he does realize that going up against a movie that has already been established, always represents tough competition at the box office. “Whatever sequel opens will have, by definition, higher awareness and numbers across the board but we are moving strongly in the right direction,” he confidently stated.
And while some may scoff at the idea that an Adam Sandler movie could possibly outperform a big budget Hollywood spectacle, keep in mind that the original “Grown Ups” pulled in $271 million worldwide. That’s no guarantee that the sequel will make just as much, but it stands a good chance of drawing in the same crowd again.
However, Guillermo Del Toro has a strong and rather supportive fanbase, some of whom are eager to help get the word out about the film. Frighteningly so. One commenter on the forum delivered this rather inspiring statement: “If Pacific Rim loses to Grown Ups 2 in the box office, I’m going to head over to the marketing department of every studio that has a share of Pacific Rim and I will personally gut every single person in the marketing department.” Go team!
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in seeing the latest marketing for “Pacific Rim,” then journey down below where you can watch the newest TV spot and a clip of Idris Elba being a stone cold bad ass. “Pacific Rim” hits theaters on July 12th.
