In 2010, Tim Burton was attached to direct an adaptation of creature-battling board game Monsterpocalypse. But then along came Pacific Rim to crush its dreams. Yet like some slumbering beast, Monsterpocalypse is back, and has Evil Dead remake director Fede Alvarez on board.
Right now, he and writing partner Rodo Sayagues are the only people aboard, though studios including Warner Bros. and Sony are circling, kicking off a bidding war for the rights. The game pits humans in robot suits against giant monsters, and you can sort of see why Pacific Rim might have stomped all over that idea. But according to The Hollywood Reporter's sources, Alvarez and Sayagues have a very different take on the idea, and are aiming for something that distinguishes itself from Guillermo del Toro's creature feature. And it's not exactly Alvarez's first time dealing with big-scale destruction – he broke through with the short Panic Attack!{
So Monsterpocalypse may yet get a second life, while del Toro remains committed to a Rim sequel, hiring Steven S. DeKnight to direct follow-up Pacific Rim 2.