A new Pacific Rim Uprising IMAX trailer has been released online, showcasing new footage from the upcoming sequel and making a very strong case for seeing it in the IMAX format. Pacific Rim 2 was not a guarantee when the film first hit theaters, as it somewhat underperformed domestically but hit big overseas—especially in China. Guillermo del Toro departed the director’s chair to focus on The Shape of Water, and Daredevil Season 1 showrunner Steven S. DeKnight subsequently came in to co-write and direct a new story.

The film looks to be a sequelboot of sorts, as it only has a couple of characters from the first movie while shifting its focus to a new, younger cast led by John Boyega. He plays the son of Idris Elba’s Stacker Pentecost, and obviously lives in the shadow of his father’s great deeds. But when a new kaiju threat arises, Boyega jumps into action and we get more monster vs. robot fights.

It looks like these fights are going to be the centerpiece of the movie, at least judging by this trailer. And they look pretty cool! There are no illusions here about what this is—at least half of this movie is essentially an animated film, as these battles are rendered entirely in the computer. There’s certainly a throwback vibe to the fights (Power Rangers fans will be pleased), and I’m curious to see how DeKnight differentiates each battle from the next. The world building was Pacific Rim’s greatest asset, so here’s hoping that’s expanded upon in this sequel, which should go a long way to keeping things compelling.

Watch the new Pacific Rim Uprising IMAX trailer below. The film also stars Scott Eastwood, Tian Jing, Charlie Day, Adria Arjona, Burn Gorman, and Rinko Kikuchi. Pacific Rim Uprising hits theaters on March 23rd.

Here’s the official synopsis for Pacific Rim Uprising:

The globe-spanning conflict between otherworldly monsters of mass destruction and the human-piloted super-machines built to vanquish them was only a prelude to the all-out assault on humanity in Pacific Rim Uprising.

 

John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) stars as the rebellious Jake Pentecost, a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father gave his life to secure humanity’s victory against the monstrous “Kaiju.” Jake has since abandoned his training only to become caught up in a criminal underworld. But when an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed to tear through our cities and bring the world to its knees, he is given one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy by his estranged sister, Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi)—who is leading a brave new generation of pilots that have grown up in the shadow of war. As they seek justice for the fallen, their only hope is to unite together in a global uprising against the forces of extinction.

 

Jake is joined by gifted rival pilot Lambert (The Fate of the Furious’ Scott Eastwood) and 15-year-old Jaeger hacker Amara (newcomer Cailee Spaeny), as the heroes of the PPDC become the only family he has left. Rising up to become the most powerful defense force to ever walk the earth, they will set course for a spectacular all-new adventure on a towering scale.

For more on Pacific Rim Uprising click the links below:

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Image via Universal Pictures