Dance Dance Revolution helped Eastwood prep for Pacific Rim Uprising
Pacific Rim Uprising star Scott Eastwood on acting alongside a diverse cast
Pulling off a movie like Pacific Rim Uprising apparently required some sleek moves.
Dance moves, that is.
Opening here tomorrow, the sequel to Guillermo del Toro's 2013 sci-fi monster flick Pacific Rim required its cast to couple acting with some elements of choreography.
To operate and control a Jaeger, the film's giant humanoid mecha, two suited-up co-pilots whose minds are joined by a mental link have to be perfectly synced - thinking, feeling and moving to the same rhythm.
US actor Scott Eastwood, 31, fondly described notable rehearsals with British co-star John Boyega, 25.
The son of Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood told The New Paper at a round-table interview at Kerry Hotel in Beijing, China: "Practising for the scenes in the Conn-Pod (the cockpit and control centre of each Jaeger) was a lot like (video game) Dance Dance Revolution. John and I had to learn to dance together."
He added with a laugh: "Luckily, I am a fantastic dancer. John, I taught him most of what he knows. We really had fun doing it. We were like a hip-hop band of the 90s."
Set 10 years after the Battle of the Breach, Pacific Rim Uprising centres on rebellious Jake Pentecost (Boyega), a once-promising Jaeger pilot whose legendary father General Stacker Pentecost (Idris Elba) gave his life to secure humanity's victory against the monstrous Kaiju.
When an even more unstoppable threat is unleashed, he is given one last chance to live up to his father's legacy, alongside a brave new generation of pilots who have grown up in the shadow of war.
The movie also stars Jing Tian, Adria Arjona and Max Zhang, with Rinko Kikuchi reprising her role as former Jaeger pilot Mako Mori.
BROMANCE
The on-screen bromance between Jake and gifted frenemy Nathan Lambert (Eastwood), one of the best pilots in the fleet who heads the training programme for the cadets, is packed with drama, angst and tough love in equal measure .
Eastwood, best known for starring in testosterone-heavy actioners like The Fate Of The Furious and Suicide Squad, enjoyed filming on the sound stages at Wanda Studios in Qingdao, China, and described working with international actors from Japan, China, Hong Kong and Puerto Rico as an inspiring experience.
Beyond token representation, Pacific Rim Uprising showcases them in empowered, significant roles.
He said: "There are so many things to learn from the diverse cast, who are of so many different backgrounds and cultures. To see people who come from nothing, born in small towns I've never heard of, making their own way in film. That's the stuff that keeps me going and an important reason why we make these global films, so we can inspire the youth of the future.
"(The diversity) is immensely important, in this day and age. It is great to see that everyone can be represented."
He added: "I really like the theme of this film in particular, all of us coming together and setting aside our differences to fight a common threat."
Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus, Daredevil), who makes his feature film directorial debut with Pacific Rim Uprising, echoed Eastwood's sentiments.
Both men expressed keen interest in not only making another sequel but to expand it into "a Star Wars- or Star Trek-style universe and continue the franchise indefinitely".
DeKnight added that if everything goes well at the box office, casting for the follow-up could be in 12 to 18 months.
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