Pacific Rim (draft script)

This article is a history page This article contains early or scrapped production information about Legendary Pictures's Pacific Rim, and is intended to work as a history book on the film's development progress.

This article is about the script written by Travis Beacham. You may be looking for the Pacific Rim (disambiguation page).

The cover page of the Pacific Rim draft script written by Travis Beacham circa. October 2010.

The original draft script for Guillermo del Toro's Pacific Rim was written Travis Beacham and contains overt references to multiple mecha anime series. Details regarding the original story of Beacham's draft script for Pacific Rim surfaced as early as March 3, 2011, following the leak of the film's memo. From 2011 to 2012, the script underwent several major rewrites by del Toro, who enlisted the aid of other screenwriters such as Neil Cross, Drew Pearce, Marcus Dunstan, and Patrick Melton. In early 2012, Beacham's draft was reportedly leaked online by 4chan as a downloadable Portable Document that was subject of discussion among genre fans prior to the film's release in July 2013.

Plot

In the year 2012, a giant monster emerges from a portal on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and attacks Osaka, Japan. Years later, the portal continues to send out beasts that attack coastal cities. The military forms what is called the “Jaeger” program, where pilots are train to operate giant mechanical suits made of “armor and high-tech weaponry.”

One of these pilots, Raleigh Antrobus, is sent to Tokyo a year following the death of his brother, Yancy, to partner with another surviving pilot named Mako Mori. In order to combat the otherworldly monsters, Raleigh must learn to work together with Mako, a pilot who cannot speak English and does not trust him.

Summary

Part 1

In a memory, twenty three year old Raleigh Antrobus and his older brother, Yancy pilot Coyote Tango against a Kaiju named Tortuga, and following an arduous battle, appear to have beaten it. Yancy is certain they’ve bested their opponent, however, as Raleigh monitors their environment, the Kaiju recovers and approaches them with the intent to kill. Raleigh warns his brother to ready for attack as the Kaiju roars at them.

When the memory sequence ends, Raleigh, a year following the events of his brother’s death, contemplates removing the "wetport" from behind his ear as he was no longer a “driver” for a Jaeger. His grief counselor attempts to persuade him to use the wet port to manage and work through his grief, but Raleigh is determined to bury any and all discussion regarding his brother’s death.

Leaving the counselor’s office, Raleigh overhears a news broadcast from CNN in the lobby. The report details a major attack in Tokyo, Japan, that’s left the city in ruins. During the report, the body of a fallen Kaiju and Jaeger are caught on camera, along with a distraught young woman, a gunner who survived the attack that killed her co-pilot, Aki Seto.

In Japan’s Shinagawa "Incident Zone", twenty-two year old Lieutenant Mako Mori recovers from her injuries in a state of catatonia. When she is approached by Stacker Pentecost, she’s given the all-clear to leave. Mako asks about the state of her Jaeger, Acid Geisha, and Pentecost explains that the Jaeger's core was fired during hers and Aki’s fight with the Kaiju. Pentecost attempts to console Mako with the reassurances that her co-pilot died a hero and saved her life and the city. However, a shell-shocked Mako questions her worth now that her co-pilot is dead and Jaeger destroyed.

Elsewhere, outside the "Jaeger-Meister's Bar & Grill" in Port Hueneme, California, Felicity “Flick” Kincaid sits in her car and speaks with her assistant, Jim, about an anonymous source she wants to meet face to face, but has otherwise been elusive and vague with information regarding a story she’s been working on. When Raleigh stumbles out of the bar drunk, she cuts her call with Jim short and leaves her car to face him.

When Raleigh notices her he tries to brush her off, but Felicity insists on speaking with him, demanding to know if he received any of the messages she sent him. When Raleigh asks her if she’s abandoned the story regarding the Kaiju, but Felicity demands to know why the source of the Kaiju attacks – a decade long occurrence now – remain a mystery.

Raleigh remains evasive, telling her that everything that involves the Combined Special Defense Corps (COSDEC) becomes rumors by the time it reaches jocks like him. He prepares to leave, but Felicity mentions that Yancy made more than a few references to something called “the Interstice” during their relationship, and that an e-mail from an anonymous source also referenced it.

Raleigh warns her that they shouldn’t be discussing COSDEC information and tries to leave, but Felicity insists on pressing him for answers to her question about the Interstice. Raleigh finally decides to remind her that he isn’t interested in be interviewed by reporters. Ignoring him, she asks why he’s avoided her for the last year since the death of her fiancé, his brother, Yancy.

Felicity admits fearing that her relationship with Yancy may have disrupted the bond between the brothers. Angry, Raleigh explains the nature of the Pons system and how he became privy to hers and Yancy’s most intimate moments and eventually began to loathe his brother because he was dating his ex-girlfriend. He tells Felicity he cannot forgive her for it. and subtly admits that he may have not have done everything in his power to save Yancy from being killed in their last battle. Upset, Felicity slaps him and departs from the bar and grill in a hurry, and Raleigh returns to his mobile home.

Shortly after returning to the house, he is visited by Lieutenant-Commander Roscoe Calhoun. Calhoun explains that Tokyo, the largest city on the Pacific Rim, is short a Jaeger and crew. Raleigh rejects his offer, suspecting the frequency of attacks have made COSDEC desperate enough to try and pair two “burn-out leftovers” together to create a new Jaeger crew.

Calhoun admits that COSDEC doesn’t know what to expect, but is hoping Raleigh will help them nonetheless. Raleigh asks who they intend to pair him up with, Calhoun tells him that Mako Mori will his new partner. Raleigh appears to reject the offer, reminding him that he only lost his brother a year ago and that Mori lost herS recently. Calhoun accepts Raleigh’s answer and prepares to leave, but Raleigh makes a point of telling him that he didn’t reject his offer.

At Felicity’s home, Felicity is preoccupied with packing when she remembers the Vanity Fair cover story she wrote about Yancy and Raleigh. Tired, she goes to sleep and experiences a nightmare of Yancy treating a body of bloody water and a Kaiju setting the world aflame with a wildfire that causes her to fall from a cliff. When she wakes, she resumes packing her things and prepares to leave home.

In Japan, Raleigh and Calhoun arrive at the Tokyo Bay Shatterdome. Raleigh is greeted by Lieutenant-Commander Stacker Pentecost, who introduces himself as Raleigh’s trainer. Raleigh dismisses the idea of needing a trainer given a his experience, but Stacker makes a point of telling him that his previous experiences with another crew member would not be applicable with Mako Mori, a complete stranger.

In the Shatterdome locker room, Mako convenes with twenty-two year old Kaori Jessop, who expresses her discomfort with Mako being put back in the field so soon after the death of Aki. Mako makes a point of telling her that it was her decision and one she made based on the fact that the other candidates have no real interest in defending Tokyo like she does. Kaori remains unconvinced that Mako is ready despite her reassurances.

In the observation gallery, Stacker continues his tour of the Shatterdome with Raleigh. During an emergency drill, Raleigh spots Commander Kaz Takada, a “Supreme Commander” within the COSDEC and commanding officer of the Tokyo Strike Group. Pentecost leads Raleigh onto the mezzanine overlooking the main floor of the Jaeger launch bay and the two observe the entrance of Tacit Ronin, a Mark-2 Jaeger, and their pilots, Kaori and her twenty-three year old husband Duc Jessop, a man of Korean-Australian parentage.

Pentecost concludes his tour with the reveal of Gipsy Danger, a Mark-1 Jaeger and one of the first Jaeger’s built for the city of Los Angeles. Raleigh is reluctant to pilot the Jaeger because of its age, but Pentecost reassures him that the Jaeger is combat-ready.

Mako appears, and greets Pentecost and Raleigh. Raleigh introduces himself to Mako and she realizes that he doesn’t speak Japanese when he fails to respond to her questions accordingly. Upset by oversight made by COSDEC, Mako departs from the hangar bay.

One version of Mako and Raleigh speaking outside the Shatterdome in the original draft script.

When they met again in the dojo, Pentecost tries to coach them through their language barrier with various tests, but the two fail to move in sync with each other. Mako’s frustration with Raleigh becomes such that she outright attacks him and doesn’t stop until Pentecost orders her to do so.

Outside the dojo, Raleigh attempts to make amends with Mako, implying that they could get along because Yancy beat him in fights not dissimilar from how she did. In Japanese, Mako recounts her connection and friendship with Aki, and implies that they never had a romantic relationship with her because of his crush on Duc. When Raleigh reveals his black eye, Mako takes it as a sign of their inevitable death.

Part 2

Felicity arrives at the Calixto Particle Observatory in Lima, Peru. Inside the observatory she meets Newt Gotlieb and confronts him about their e-mail correspondence. Though he attempts to lie about their contact, his name-tag gives him away and he obliges her questions concerning the information about “the Interstice”.

While in Gotlieb’s company, she meets his partner, Myron Toynbee, who admonishes Gotlieb for behaving so caviler with their information, but is glad that he contacted a reporter nonetheless. Gotlieb and Toynbee explain that almost eleven years ago, while working with a scientist named Ivo Czerny, they found the largest collection of dark matter amassed at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean giving off radio signal-like frequencies that appeared man-made, but alien in nature.

Ivo theorized that the signal was coming from a parallel universe and appeared to be acting as a countdown that ended November 9th, 2012, and immediately following the end of the countdown was first Kaiju attack in Osaka, Japan.

Ivo contacted COSDEC with the information and worked with them for a time before he was exiled to the Australian Outback for reasons neither Gotlieb nor Toynbee can determine, but learned he was on the verge of a breakthrough that could “turn the tide” of the battle with the Kaiju. Felicity deduces that the arrival of the Kaiju was not an accident, but an intentional move by the aliens who declared war on humanity.

Returning to her hotel room at the Hotel Miraflores, Felicity learns that Raleigh was assigned to pilot a Jaeger in Tokyo. She calls Gotlieb and asks him for the location of Ivo’s exile, determined to get to the bottom of his discovery. She checks out the hotel and prepares to head for Sydney, Australia. Gotlieb arrives at the hotel and decides to come with her, feeling responsible for getting her into the situation. Felicity attempts to dissuade him, but he persists until they are interrupted by Kaiju Siren warning them of oncoming Kaiju attack.

Gotlieb and Felicity attempt escape on his Vespa. An arachnid-like Kaiju named Dengue emerges from the water and begins to attack the city when the Mark-2 Jaeger Puma Real is deployed into the city and the two monsters fight.

Gotlieb and Felicity run through the chaos after losing the Vespa to a frightened civilian that threatens them with a gun. They manage to evade certain death during the battle and later find refuge at the airport. Shaken by the incident she calls Raleigh and tells him that she’s going to Australia and asks if he would believe her if she told him she found a way to stop the Kaiju attacks. He reassures her that he believes her and the two end the call.

In Tokyo, Raleigh arrives to the Shatterdome for his test run with Gipsy Danger with Mako. In a simulation, they go up against a Category III Kaiju named Slattern to test his reflexes. Mako allows her mind to wander to the memory of her fight in hers and Aki’s Jaeger, Acid Geisha. Their simulated battle against Slattern fails on account of their continued poor communication. Mako allows her mind to wander, and Raleigh witnesses the first Kaiju attack by Trespasser in 2012 from Mako’s perspective. They fail the simulation, and Pentecost dismisses them.

Part 3

Pentecost convenes with General Takeda in a meeting with the United Nations, who discuss the increasing frequency of Kaiju attacks. One of the UN members note that the attack in Lima took place only seventeen days after the attack in Tokyo, and they ask if there is a way to glimpse into the Interstice to deduce their enemy tactics.

General Takeda dismisses the idea that was suggested by Dr. Ivo Czerny on account of his mental instability. General Takeda attempts to suggest the Mark-3 program as an alternative, but the UN members reject the idea because of the expenses required to fund the program. The only reassurance that General Takeda can give the UN is that they would continue to fight until they were gone. Following the conclusion of their meeting, Pentecost reports the problems Mako is experiencing with Raleigh and wants to give a pair of cadet an early graduation instead of trying to force two incompatible pilots together.

Elsewhere in the Shatterdome, Duc and Raleigh are playing basketball and ruminating over what happened in the dry run with Gipsy Danger. Raleigh accidentally hits a passing cart full of ordnance and catches the ire of Tendo Choi, the Shatterdome chief engineer. Duc and Raleigh watch Tendo work on Gipsy Danger before turning the conversation to Mako. Duc explains that her father was killed in the first Kaiju attack and that, despite being a pilot, she has no kills.

Concept art of Mako and Raleigh from the original draft script of Pacific Rim.

Later, back at the dojo, Pentecost decides to play matchmaker and forces Mako and Raleigh to waltz, thinking the intimacy of the dance will force them to become closer. Mako and Raleigh protest, but Pentecost reminds them that conventional training methods have failed in their case and orders them to waltz.

Mako and Raleigh begin to ghost drift during the waltz, glimpsing moments of each other’s memories – Yancy admitting his love for Felicity, and Mako during the first Kaiju attack in 2012. Their bond becomes so strong that the two start to speak to each other in their respective languages – Raleigh in Japanese to Mako, and Mako in English to Raleigh.

The two are suddenly naked and share a kiss and are suddenly surrounded by a grove of cherry blossom pedals, indicating their sudden and inexplicable attraction for one another. The two are confident that they’ll past the next training session. Mako and Raleigh wake from what they realize was a dream. Raleigh leaves his room and approaches Mako’s bedroom door. Mako watches him through the peephole and notices his hesitation before he retreats to his bedroom.

Part 4

Felicity dreams of a night at a carnival with Yancy during the earliest part of their relationship. On a Ferris wheel on the Santa Monica Pier, Felicity recounts being coerced into dating Yancy after he arranged to have the Ferris wheel stop, stranding them in the gondola at the top of the wheel, until she said yes to going out with him.

The otherwise pleasant dream transforms into a nightmare when she dreams the Kaiju Tortuga fighting Coyote Tango a fair distance from the pier. When she begs Yancy to make the fight end, Yancy simply advises her to get off the Ferris wheel and jumps from the gondola and disappears. Felicity is dumped out of the gondola and falls to a certain death when she is awakened by Gotlieb, who has accompanied her in a Sleeping Car. Gotlieb notes that she fell from the bed, and Felicity tells him she had a nightmare. Gotlieb tends to a cut on her head. He asks what it was about and Felicity lies that she doesn’t remember.

Eventually they reach the Eschaton Institute where they finally meet seventy-seven year old scientist Ivo Czerny. They enter Ivo’s house and Felicity catches a glimpse of another Jaeger fighting a Kaiju in Busan, South Korea. Felicity notes that it’s only been fourteen days (two weeks) since the last attack, but Ivo corrects her, saying it’s only been thirteen days since the attack in Lima.

Back at the Shatterdome, Raleigh speaks with Duc, who is watching another news report the Kaiju attack in Busan. The crab-like Kaiju births another from a sac on its back, and the Shatterdome assigns Gipsy Danger to Busan (to the astonishment of Raleigh and Mako). Duc protests the assignment, believing Tacit Ronin should be the one to stop the Kaiju, but Pentecost reminds him that Ronin’s station is in Tokyo, not Busan, and assures that Gipsy Danger will be up to task despite Duc’s doubt in their abilities.

After an encouraging speech from Pentecost, Raleigh and Mako board Gipsy Danger and the Jaeger is flown out to Busan. During their transit, they’re told the Kaiju they’ll be facing is a Category III named Invidia that can redirect energy after absorbing it. Gipsy Danger fights with Invidia on the Haeundae Beach, the Kaiju uses its wings to evade most of the Jaeger’s attacks. During the battle the two get lost in their memories of Raleigh’s fight with Yancy and Trespasser’s attack.

The two are suddenly able to overcome Invidia when Raleigh realizes he understands Mako in English and the two kill the Kaiju with Gipsy Danger’s ordnance and its secondary weapon, a chain-whip like sword that beheads the Kaiju. LOCCENT and Gipsy Danger’s crew celebrate their victory at the Shatterdome.

When the two reconvene with Duc and Kaori, the pilots of Tacit Ronin note that the two are speaking each other’s languages. Mako tells them she hears what Raleigh says in English and he hears for what Mako says in Japanese. The two return to their bedrooms and prepare to go to bed for the night, but decide to give into their feelings and kiss each other after Mako admits to remembering the dream they shared earlier.

Part 5

Outside around a campfire, Ivo explains to Felicity and Gotlieb that the Interstice is a gateway to another universe centuries older than the one they live in. Ivo speculates that the inhabitants of the Anteverse created the universe and the world they live in and are trying to wipe out the vermin who’ve inhabited it in order to properly escape their dying universe.

When Gotlieb asks about the breakthough that Ivo was working on, Felicity tells him that she has a “contact” within COSDEC that will relay the information to the higher-ups of the organization who can do something to stop the Kaiju. Curious Ivo asks Felicity if she’s been experiencing any nightmares and elaborates, explaining that the nightmares she’s experienced may have a result of the Anteverse’s inhabitants attempting to connect to their world on a physic level and that he’s found a way to use their “signal” to glimpse into the Anteverse. When Gotlieb suggests using Ivo’s invention to try and destroy the Interstice, Ivo refuses to give him the information and retires for the night.

Felicity suspects that Ivo is hiding something from them and the two decide to investigate; Gotlieb going to find a way inside Ivo’s study while Felicity goes to search the Quonset hut. During her search of the hut, Ivo discovers her. Angry, Felicity demands to know how Ivo intends to peek into the Anteverse. Ivo takes Felicity to a back room and reveals his makeshift pons system and the partial remains of a Kaiju’s brain. Using an elaborate set-up, Ivo connects Felicity’s brain to the Kaiju’s and Felicity is given a glimpse into the Anteverse.

Elsewhere, the Gotlieb searches Ivo’s study and comes across a pair of reading glasses with a HUD interface visible only when the glasses are worn. Gotlieb accidentally discovers a weak spot in the Interstice, and is discovered by Ivo.

When Gotlieb argues they can destroy the Interstice, Ivo rejects the idea, believing that humanity is ultimately doomed. Ivo primes the thermobaric warhead hidden in his study that has the strength to destroy a Category V Kaiju. He plans to kill himself, Gotlieb and Felicity to spare them the pain of alien invasion and Gotlieb and Ivo fight until Ivo is overpowered.

Gotlieb chooses to save Felicity from the Drift she shared with the Kaiju brain over defusing the bomb. They escape to the Jeep and barely manage to outrun the explosion. The Jeep flips over from the explosion and Gotlieb resuscitates Felicity, who later dismisses his anger over her decision to Drift with the Kaiju brain. When Felicity reveals that the Interstice is stabilizing, Gotlieb tells her he knows how to destroy the bridge.

At the Shatterdome, Mako and Raleigh go through a simulated battle in Hong Kong, China against a Kaiju named Oolong. While they are able to defeat the Kaiju, the property damage caused within the simulation is a cause for concern, but Pentecost allows them to take a break. When Raleigh leaves to get them lunch, Mako speaks with Pentecost in private about her relationship with Raleigh. Pentecost believes their bond “is like magma” and can’t be defined like pre-selected pairs with established pairs.

Later that night, Mako and Raleigh sleep together in Raleigh’s room. During their conversation about the ghost-drift and their relationship, Raleigh thinks back to his brother’s death in Coyote Tango when they fought Tortuga. Mako reassures him that he did all he could to save his brother, but Raleigh is doubtful of his own account of the memory.

The next morning, COSDEC is monitoring the Pacific Ocean and receive a major reading of a Kaiju that they cannot determine. Elsewhere on a jetliner to Tokyo, Felicity and Gotlieb discuss his plan to destroy the Interstice. During their conversation, Felicity suddenly kisses Gotlieb, and Gotlieb returns the affection, but the moment is interrupted with an announcement of an impending Kaiju attack in Tokyo Bay and the redirection to Toyama in order avoid certain danger.

Part 6

In Minato Mirai, Tacit Ronin is dropped into Tokyo Bay to face a Category IV Kaiju named Komodo. Mako and Raleigh watch the battle from LOCCENT. Tacit Ronin’s battle against Komodo is relatively matched until they make a wrong move and Komodo gains the upper-hand in the battle. Tacit Ronin struggles, but is able to overpower the Kaiju using beam weapon that burns a hole through Komodo’s chest and kills it. Though LOCCENT celebrates the death of the Kaiju, a Category V Kaiju is detected by the Shatterdome

Raleigh and Mako head for Gipsy Danger. Tacit Ronin attempt to engage Fulcrum. Fulcrum uses its barbed tail to best Tacit Ronin, who can barely dodge the Kaiju’s attacks. Eventually, Tacit Ronin’s armor is damaged by Fulcrum’s attack and knocked down; their weapons fail and their systems begin to shut down. As Fulcrum begins to tear through Tacit Ronin’s armor, Duc and Kaori begin to bid each other goodbye with a song.

However, Gipsy Danger arrives in the nick of time to save them from the Category V Kaiju. Gipsy Danger fights Fulcrum with its Chain Sword, Fulcrum uses debris around the environment to ward off the Jaeger during battle, but to no avail. Gipsy Danger beheads Fulcrum with the Chain Sword and Tacit Ronin destroys its body using its coolant system.

Back at LOCCENT, Pentecost watches the news reporting the incident and contemplates revealing to the public the dire straits of their situation. General Takada argues that the purpose of Combined Special Defense Corps was to defend humanity from its present dangers and that admitting they couldn’t would be cause the public to lose hope.

Elsewhere in the Shatterdome Mako watches the Jumphawk crews clean up the bodies of the Kaiju Komodo and Fulcrum. They spot a tour group moving toward them and Raleigh spots Felicity among the group, speaking with Gotlieb. Back a LOCCENT, Raleigh introduces Felicity and Gotlieb to Pentecost and they proceed to divulge the information they’ve gathered from their investigation into Ivo’s research. As Gotlieb explains how the Interstice can be destroyed during its stabilization period, Raleigh suggests using the nuclear reaction of Gipsy Danger as a means to destroy the bridge.

Pentecost argues against sending either pilot on the mission to destroy the Interstice, believing they’ve lost too much to be sent on a suicide mission. General Takeda remains convinced of his decision, clarifying that Ivo’s research wasn’t nonsense and that the attacks would continue to increase in frequency despite Pentecost belief that the simultaneous Kaiju attacks were simple spikes and nothing more.

Raleigh and Mako contemplate their certain death upon taking on the mission, and the want to live again since discovering each other’s feelings for one another. The following day, Gotlieb goes over the plans for Gipsy Danger with Tendo Choi, who assures Gotlieb that Gipsy Danger is primed to explode once prompted. Once Mako and Raleigh have donned their Drivesuits, they prepare board Gipsy Danger. Felicity and Raleigh share a farewell, and Raleigh tells her that he did everything he could to try and save his brother before he died, allowing Felicity to forgive him.

During a press conference General Takeda confesses to the public the COSDEC’s intentions to destroy the Interstice with the nuclear capabilities of Gipsy Danger, and proudly declares that they were going to “cancel the apocalypse”. As Gipsy Danger approaches the location of the Interstice, multiple Kaiju emerge from the bridge at once, forcing the remaining Jaeger crews in Sydney, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Hong Kong to begin mobilizing against the oncoming attack. Gipsy Danger is attacked during transit by a serpentine Kaiju who misses them in its attempt to down the Jumphawk Helicopter.

In Odaiba, Japan, Tacit Ronin stands guard within the city with a view of the Shatterdome in Tokyo across the water. LOCCENT reports to Duc and Kaori that Odaiba is about to besieged by three Category V Kaiju; Scunner, Pharaoh, and Tengu. Tacit Ronin engages all three Kaiju when they emerge and is able to overcome and defeat them all after exhausting all possible options during combat.

Concept art of Mako and Raleigh from the original ending of Pacific Rim's draft script.

At the same time, Gipsy Danger arrives at the Interstice and Jumphawk helicopters drop the Jaeger in the Pacific Ocean. The Jaeger sinks deeper into the Pacific until it reaches the bridge and enters the Interstice. Once inside, the Jaeger is besieged by a group of Kaiju that try to tear it apart. Raleigh arms the self-destruct of the Jaeger and the two eject each other out of the machine at the last possible second. The Interstice is destroyed in the explosion and LOCCENT celebrates.

Gipsy Danger’s escape pods reach the surface later, Raleigh’s first, followed by Mako. Raleigh swims over to Mako’s escape pod and the two share a passionate hug as COSDEC converges on their location.

Jaeger and Kaiju

Jaegers Coyote Tango Tacit Ronin Gipsy Danger Puma Real Acid Geisha

Kaiju Tortuga Dengue Slattern Trespasser Invidia Oolong Fulcrum Scunner Pharaoh Tengu

Characters

COSDEC Raleigh Antrobus Yancy Antrobus Kaz Takada Stacker Pentecost Mako Mori Aki Seto Roscoe Calhoun Kaori Jessop Duc Jessop Tendo Choi

Civilians Felicity Kincaid Jim Newt Gotlieb Ivo Czerny Myron Toynbee

Differences from the Film

As a draft script, the premise of Pacific Rim is different from the finalized shooting script rewritten by del Toro. Beacham separates the narrative into two parts between the characters Raleigh Antrobus and his ex-girlfriend, Felicity Kincaid. Both characters drive the drama and the narrative of the script with their respective connection to the deceased elder brother character, Yancey Antrobus.

The Felicity Kencaid character was used to deliver the more convoluted aspects of the Anteverse and the Interstice in the script to the reading audience that was later simplified in the film, and is largely responsible for discovering the solution to destroy the Interstice. The character was given a compulsory romantic subplot with supporting character Newt Gotlieb, who was later halved into characters, that was otherwise discarded when both characters were reworked for the film and graphic novel, Tales From Year Zero.

The draft features three minor and supporting military characters, Kaz Takeda, Roscoe Calhoun, and Stacker Pentecost that functioned in similar roles in the story that were later omitted in favor in maintaining Stacker Pentecost as the central military figure. Pentecost does not adopt Mako in the draft and does not have a familial relationship with him. In addition, characters Koari and Duc Jessop were central supporting characters and principal as the narrative foils to Raleigh and Mako; in addition a LGBT character, Aki Seto, is killed "off-screen" to add to the tragic backstory of Mako and further her character arc.

Seven Kaiju featured in the script were otherwise omitted from the final version of the film, with only Scunner (one of the final Kaiju), Trespasser (who remained the first Kaiju to attack), and Slattern (a simulation in the script), remaining in the final product. With regard to the Jaegers, Jeager tech in script otherwise only went as far Mark-1 (Gipsy Danger, Coyote Tango) and Mark-2 (Puma Real, Tacit Ronin) Jaegers, with Mark-3 considered over-expenditure.

Coyote Tango was originally a American Jaeger, Gipsy Danger was a Mark-1 Jaeger, and Japan was represented by the ill-named "Acid Geisha", alongside Tacit Ronin. LOCCENT communicates with Jaeger pilots using call signs (Zuma, Meiji, Roma) instead of using the Jaeger's or pilot's names. Conn-Pods were separate from the Jaegers themselves, and resemble a traditional cockpit; pilots were wired to their cockpit through their "wetport", Maxtrix-esque ports that allowed pilots to connect to the Jaeger.

Themes of collectivism and global participation in crisis present in the film is absent in the draft, instead focusing on the reluctant heroism of American-born Raleigh Antrobus and his torrid relationship with established pilot and Japan-Native Mako Mori. Their central conflict is built around their language barrier, the inability to speak each other’s native language, and solved with an additional romantic subplot that was also discarded in the final version of the film, maintained, but altered considerably in the novelization for the film, but purposed for the 2015 miniseries Tales From The Drift within the relationship of Duc and Kaori Jessop.

The first Kaiju attack depicted in the film takes place in 2012 in Osaka, Japan, where Mako Mori is witness to its destruction. The story itself is centralized almost entirely in Japan in a clearer reference to the fact that script pays homage to the mech genre popularized in Japan. The central location was later changed to Hong Kong, reportedly at the request of Legendary Pictures, following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami disaster. Other locations centralized in the script include Australia, Los Angeles, and California.

Critical Reception

Since the script was reportedly leaked online in early 2012, Beacham's draft has been met with mixed to negative reviews. The general consensus is that the script contained strong concepts, but otherwise failed to execute them well, or relied too much on established cliches and genre conventions.

Comparisons to Evangelion

Since its announcement, Pacific Rim has been compared, oftentimes unfavorably, to Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion by fans of the series. Guillermo del Toro has stated in multiple interviews that he was aware of, but has never seen Evangelion, and other series such as Gigantor (Tetsujin 28-go) and Mazinger Z were major influences of the development of the film under his direction.

Beacham's script references it in at least one scene following the first battle of Gipsy Danger and has otherwise referenced Evangelion as a point of influence.

In 2012 the fansite and fan wikipedia, Evageeks.org reviewed the leaked script. User Gendo'sPapa compared the script favorably to Joss Whedon's Avengers, but noted that the script contained "heavy Evangelion overtones". In particular within the introduction of Mako was considered "a kind've hybrid of Rei & Asuka" based on her introduction, while Raleigh was "a 23 year old Shinji minus the insecurity complex (and any real interesting character traits)".

In at least one instance, the waltz scene in the draft script was compared to episode scenario in "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win" The user went to criticize the screenplay for failing to properly escalate the states of the narrative and undermining its own intent.

Racism and Sexism

In 2013, tumblr user jedifreac posted a review of Beacham's draft that detailed the instances of racism, orientalism, and sexism present in the story. jedifreac noted that, while the script contained a considerably larger number of Asian characters, and female characters in its cast, their inclusion was undermined by the problems present in the script.

jedifreac stated that, while Felicity Kincaid, an early version of Noami Sokolov, as the one to initiate the Drift between the Kaiju, was an interest twist, she is ultimately not the one come up with the solution to destroy the bridge created by the Anteverse, and is instead "damseled" for Newt Gotlieb to save. Other users have taken issue with how to script chose hinge the loss and death of Yancy Antrobus on the "sexual jealousy" of Raleigh, who was envious of his Yancy's relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

A major point of issue with reviewers was the characterization and description of Mako. In the script Mako is described with stereotypical-influenced cues such as “Chinese bob” and a “long, taut ninja’s physique”, and, along with Kaori Jessup, is sexualized to the benefit of Raleigh Antrobus and the "viewing audience" reading the script. Her inability to speak English is used to further her relationship with Raleigh Antrobus, who learns to speak Japanese through the Drifting process. Criticism was also aimed at the name of the omitted Jaeger "Acid Geisha", the description of the "Rising Sun Flag", and shamisen music as sensual.

Another point of contention with the script, was name of the American Jaeger, Gipsy Danger. Gipsy Danger's decal was the image of a pinup decal featuring a "buxom Gipsy riding a bomb". The call-signs of Raleigh Antrobus" and Mako Mori were "Roma 1" or "Roma 2". "Roma" is a contraction of Romani, a community with ties to Europe, the Americas and Asia. "Gipsy" is pejorative and the British variant spelling of the word "Gypsy", and an ethnic slur used in reference to the Romani people.