The techno-speak in Guillermo del Toro’s giant robot movie Pacific Rim might take a bit of getting used to, so the director has put together this new featurette that explains some of the terms.  Ever wanted to know why it takes two people to pilot a Jaeger?  Want to know what a “neural handshake” is or what “drift space” means?  Check out the new video to find out!

The new featurette, introduced by del Toro, features Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Robert Kazinsky and Max Martini.  Hit the jump to watch it.  Pacific Rim opens July 12th.

A couple of updates out of the camp of FX pilots.  Unfortunately, it looks like Oscar-winning director Ang Lee will be tapping out of production on the drama pilot Tyrant, citing exhaustion from filming and promoting Life of Pi.  The story centers on an unassuming American family drawn into the workings of a turbulent Middle East nation; Tyrant’s pilot may be shooting in Morocco.  The search for a replacement is currently underway.

For more on what Lee had to say about his departure from the project and for casting information on Guillermo del Toro’s FX pilot, The Strain, hit the jump.

As someone whose only firsthand experience with the Star Trek franchise comes by virtue of J.J. Abrams‘ two Trek films, I know I’m in over my head when the topic presents itself. When you mention Trek, you’re referencing (either directly or indirectly) a rich legacy filled with peaks and valleys, genre-defining characters and moments, and an international fanbase that rivals any of pop-culture’s most enduring titles. And yet here I am, with two films under my belt (both of which I enjoyed), talking about it. Obviously, I have nothing at stake with regards to Star Trek Into Darkness. Whether you like it or dislike it is of no consequence to me. My only aim today is to extend a humble word of caution to the Trek fans who have years of equity built-up in their beloved franchise: be careful not to dismiss or begrudge it solely because it’s trying to appeal to the largest possible audience. Abrams’ Trek films aren’t above reproach, but they also aren’t void of redeeming qualities. Try to at least acknowledge some of those qualities when tearing into them or risk coming off as someone whose real issue is that a bunch of people now enjoy this thing that you once considered yourself unique for liking.

All preachiness aside, this week’s Top 5 includes several interviews from Star Trek Into Darkness, rumors surrounding Christopher Nolan being approached to direct James Bond 24, the first trailers for Marvel’s new ABC series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a new trailer for Guillermo Del Toro‘s Pacific Rim, and new photos and a video from the set of director Jose Padilha‘s RoboCop remake. If I haven’t lost you yet, a brief recap and link to each of the above can be found after the jump.

Saturday at the Los Angeles Times Hero Complex Festival, Guillermo del Toro was on hand to discuss his two greatest and most personal films: The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth. During the far-reaching conversation Del Toro gave updates on the currently in development Justice League Dark and the status of his HBO series Monster (based on the Japanese manga by author Naoki Urasawa).

On Justice League Dark, Del Toro revealed that his script features Constantine, The Swamp Thing, Madame Xanadu, Deadman and Zantanna as the team. He stated that there are other characters in the mix too (“everybody that doesn’t feel like a repeat”) – but any additional info would be too ‘spoilery’ for the hypothetical film.  However Del Toro is still waiting for the go-ahead from Warner Brothers (perhaps box-office returns on Man of Steel and Pacific Rim will dictate it’s fate). Per Del Toro “If they [Warners] like the [script], I’ll do it; if not…” For additional highlights from the Q&A including an update on Monster and an all new trailer for his summer tent-pole robots-vs.-monsters flick Pacific Rim, hit the jump.

Marvel makes it look easy. That’s what kept running through my head while watching Iron Man 3 Thursday night. Pumping out one solid standalone film after another with the overall goal of creating a whole that is equally, if not more, entertaining than its formidable parts can’t be that easy. And yet, Marvel makes it seem that way. In a medium outside of their native reach no less. Granted, Iron Man 3 isn’t without its flaws. But it doesn’t have to be. It succeeds on the exact level it’s meant to: in moving both the individual character and universal stories ahead in an entertaining and logical way. If “Marvel makes it looks easy” was my primary takeaway from IM3, “DC has their work cut out for them” isn’t far behind.

But enough Marvel love for one opening paragraph. In this week’s Top 5 we’ve got Iron Man 3 interviews with director Shane Black and more, a video blog review for Star Trek Into Darkness, the Pacific Rim trailer from WonderCon, Fox’s courting of Michael B. Jordan the the role of Human Torch in its upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, and the new trailer for Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx‘s White House Down. A brief recap and link to each is a “Continue Reading” click away.

If you thought the most recent banner and theatrical poster for Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim were epic-looking, hold on to your hats, folks.  Warner Bros. has unveiled a “super banner” for the film, and it gives a bird’s eye view of the massive level of size and destruction of the film’s Kaiju and Jaegers.  For those unfamiliar, the film’s story is kicked off by the emergence of monsters (known as Kaiju) who start a war that devastates humanity.  To fight back, the humans build giant robots (known as Jaegers) that are controlled by two pilots.  This “super banner” will supposedly go up in theaters across the country, and I can’t wait to get a look at it up close.

Hit the jump to take a look at the super banner in full.  The film stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr., Idris Elba, and Ron Perlman.  Pacific Rim opens in 3D on July 12th.

Pacific Rim owes a great debt to Japan.  Director Guillermo del Toro‘s upcoming film draws from the country’s monster movies and manga, and in a new Japanese trailer, del Toro acknowledges these influences.  Pacific Rim doesn’t look like a homage as much as it appears to simply be the loving offspring of some of Japan’s most beloved entertainment.  There’s also some new footage lurking about in the trailer, so that’s worth checking out as well.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Clifton Collins Jr., Idris Elba, and Ron Perlman.  Pacific Rim opens in 3D on July 12th.

Guillermo del Toro‘s Pacific Rim had a presentation at this year’s WonderCon, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.  They showed off plenty of new footage in a new trailer for the upcoming giant-monsters-vs-giant-robots flick, and now that trailer has landed online.  As Charlie Day‘s character says, it’s “2,500 tons of awesome.”  The new trailer provides a lot more info on the story, but it’s the visuals that will really blow people away.  I felt bad watching it on my computer monitor because this is a movie that clearly demands to be seen in theaters.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film also stars Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Clifton Collins Jr., Idris Elba, and Ron Perlman.  Pacific Rim opens in 3D on July 12th.

The first bit of casting news for Guillermo del Toro’s FX series project, The Strain, is finally here!  It looks like Corey Stoll (House of Cards) will lead the vampire adaptation.  The Strain centers on a team of scientists who wage war against an ancient strain of virus that confers vampirism, along with those it infects.  Del Toro and Chuck Hogan - who both wrote the original trilogy of novels – have co-written the screenplay which del Toro will direct.  Hit the jump for more.

Guillermo del Toro has a Monster on the brain.  This time around it’s not a gigantic Kaiju for his upcoming Pacific Rim, but rather an adaptation of Naoki Urasawa’s manga, Monster.  The vision may be big but this project is meant for the small screen as part of del Toro’s TV collaboration with HBO.  The 18-volume thriller follows a doctor on his global search for a former patient of his who went on to become the most evil sociopath the world has ever seen.  Del Toro will co-write the story with Steven Thompson (Dr. Who, Sherlock), while Thompson will write the pilot that del Toro intends to direct (got that?).  Hit the jump for more.

Continuing our coverage from this year’s CinemaCon (the yearly Las Vegas convention for theater owners), we’ve got some more posters/displays.  In this batch, you can check out the first poster for One Direction‘s movie This is Us, and we’ve also got posters for Shawn Levy‘s The Internship, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg‘s This is the End, You’re Next, Smurfs 2, The Heat, Guillermo del Toro‘s Pacific Rim, and more.  Hit the jump to check them out.

The voice cast for DreamWorks Animation’s sequel Kung Fu Panda 3 is starting to fill out quite nicely.  Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, and other unspecified actors are reprising their roles from the first two animated films, but Heat Vision reports that Bryan Cranston, Mads Mikkelsen, and Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect) have also been set as new additions to the film.  Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson returns to helm the follow-up, which also sees the return of executive producer Guillermo del Toro, producer Melissa Cobb, co-producer Jeffrey Hermann, and writers/co-producers Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger.

Story details are firmly under wraps, but the ending of Kung Fu Panda 2 provides a strong hint that the third film will involve Black’s Po meeting his real father.  Del Toro previously told us that Kung Fu Panda 3 has “the most formidable villain in the series,” and either Cranston or Mikkelsen would certainly fit that bill.  Additionally, Kung Fu Panda 3 will now open on December 23, 2015 instead of March 2016.

The Hero Complex Film Festival always manages to put together a great line-up with fantastic speakers, and 2013 is going to be no different.  The L.A. Times has sent out a press release announcing that this year’s Hero Complex Film Festival will celebrate horror and sci-fi by screening films from and talking to John Carpenter, Frank Darabont, Chris Carter, Roland Emmerich, and Guillermo del Toro.  There will be showings of Halloween, They Live, The Mist, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone, and Independence Day.  Also, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the X-Files, the film festival will show three of the series’ best episodes uncut: “Pilot”, “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose”, and “Jose Chung’s from Outer Space”.

Hit the jump for the full press release.  The 2013 Hero Complex Film Festival runs from May 10 – 12th.

After starring in the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror film Mama earlier this year, Jessica Chastain will reunite with the director for his new haunting picture, Crimson Peak.  The project has been steadily adding stellar talent to the cast, including Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man), Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) and most recently Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock).  The twice Oscar-nominated Chastain adds further star power and gravitas to a picture that del Toro calls a “very set-oriented, classical but at the same time modern take on the ghost story. It will allow me to play with the conventions of the genre I know and love, and at the same time subvert the old rules.”  Del Toro spoke more about the picture and more in a recent interview with Steve at WonderCon.  Hit the jump for more on Crimson Peak and Chastain’s casting announcement.

At last weekend’s WonderCon, I was able to land an exclusive video interview with Guillermo Del Toro.  As you may have noticed, all week we’ve posted parts of the interview (Pacific Rim 2 news, Justice League Dark news, his thoughts on a Pacific Rim vs. Godzilla movie) but it’s now time to offer the entire conversation.

During our extended conversation, we talked about the fans’ positive reaction to the Pacific Rim footage, what the test screenings have been like, how he directs every single detail you see on the screen, his preference for visual sense of depth over 3D gimmicks, the Pac Rim comic book with cover art by Alex Ross, the status of his FX series The Strain, all of his upcoming projects, and so much more.  If you’re a del Toro fan, I promise you will love this interview.  Hit the jump to watch.