Guillermo Del Toro Confirmed To Direct 'Pacific Rim,' Will Hit Theaters In 2013

It didn’t take long for someone to snatch up Guillermo del Toro after Universal left “At the Mountains of Madness” blowing in the wind.

Deadline reveals that Legendary Pictures has confirmed what everyone has assumed — and what del Toro himself said in a new interview; the helmer will be taking on the monster movie “Pacific Rim” next.

The project first came on the radar last fall when it was reported that the project was apparently being offered to del Toro, and now things are official and moving quickly. The script was bought from a 25-page treatment by writer Travis Beacham (”Clash of the Titans”) back in May, and is set in a near future where ‘malevolent creatures’ threaten earth and humanity must use advanced technology to fight them off. Clearly, for a director who likes to imagine new worlds, this will be a good fit.

Production is gearing up to start in September with a release date penciled in for sometime in 2013. The irony here is that “The Hobbit,” which del Toro bailed on shooting due to the ongoing delays (at the time), is already lensing and will arrive in theaters before his next project will. The movie gods sure have a cruel sense of humor.