Variety confirmed today that the Chinese Action star Zhang Jin, joined the cast of Pacific Rim: Maelstrom. This casting announcement was made on the heels of several other recent castings of Chinese actors in the film.
Jin is best known for his roles in Chinese action and martial arts films. Among his most well known roles include IP Man 3, The Man from Macau, and Kill Zone 3. Jin also worked as a stunt double for 'Crouching Tiger: Hidden Dragon'.
Legendary Entertainment commented on the recent castings, describing it as connected to the plot of the sequel:
We are very excited that we have such amazing Chinese talent joining us on ‘Pacific Rim’ our new story has a strong connection to China and this great Chinese cast will help us bring it to life,”
Legendary's comments are indicative of the reasoning behind many of the casting choices so far. The setting for this film may be located near the Hong Kong Breach, given that it is apparently still set in China. It does seem likely that we may see the Shatterdome base again in this film!
Zhang joins Spartacus star Nick Taraby in the cast of the film. Cailee Spaeny will also star as a lead in an undisclosed role along with Levi Meaden. Other confirmed new cast members include Ivanna Sakhno and Adria Arjona. The age of all confirmed cast members so far may indicate that the film will center around a potential new class of recruits to pilot the Jaegers.
Pacific Rim Maelstrom will take place some time after the events of the first film, with Star Wars' John Boyega starring as Stacker Pentecost's son. Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi's return are yet to be announced. The plot remains under wraps, although it is known that the sequel will explore more of the Kaiju's origins and introduce us to new Jaegers and technology. For more breaking news on Pacific Rim 2, keep it locked to Scified!
Source: Variety
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