John Boyega's 2018 Sci-Fi Action Sequel Is Dominating HBO Max's Charts

Guillermo del Toro might have refused to watch the sequel to his 2013 blockbuster "Pacific Rim," but HBO Max users have embraced it wholeheartedly. "Pacific Rim Uprising" is rising up the streamer's most-watched movie charts following its debut on the service on July 17, 2026. It's a nice little reprieve for the film, which was considered somewhat of a critical and commercial disappointment upon its 2018 release.

With the original "Pacific Rim," del Toro created a paean to Kaiju movies and mech anime that also showcased his uniquely fantastical style. It became his most commercially successful project and turned millions of viewers into fans of his work. The sequel didn't have the benefit of del Toro's input and wasn't quite as successful. But it wasn't without its charms, and clearly retains some appeal almost ten years after its theatrical release.

The first film starred Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, and Rinko Kikuchi and introduced audiences to a world in which countries are menaced by giant monsters that emerge from the sea. In response, humanity develops similarly massive mechs known as Jaegers, which are piloted by two mentally-linked humans. In the sequel, set ten years after the original, John Boyega plays the son of Elba's Stacker Pentecost, and he joins the fight after the Kaiju resurface. This time, Steven S. DeKnight stepped in to direct and co-write the project and he did an admirable job considering the shoes he was trying to fill. Not everybody saw it that way at the time, but HBO Max viewers are certainly enjoying his sequel.

"Pacific Rim Uprising" sees John Boyega play Jake Pentecost, whose father gave his life to protect humankind ten years prior. The former Jaeger pilot survives in the so-called Relief Zones of cities wrecked by Kaiju attacks. But after being apprehended by the Pan Pacific Defense Corps (PPDC), Jake is persuaded to return to the organization as an instructor alongside 15-year-old Jaeger hacker, Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny). Soon, a grave threat forces Jake to resume his piloting career in order to stop the newly-reactivated Kaiju.

"Pacific Rim Uprising" received only mixed reviews from critics, earning a 42% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film did make $291 million on a $150 million budget, but given the original film made $411 million, it wasn't seen as all that much of a commercial triumph. That said, plenty of reviewers enjoyed the film, including /Film's Ethan Anderton, who called "Pacific Rim Uprising" the "Saturday morning cartoon blockbuster warm-up we need." If nothing else, giant robots punching giant monsters will always hold some appeal, even if the action isn't guided by the unique sensibility of Guillermo del Toro.

Clearly, HBO Max viewers have found something in the movie as well. According to streaming viewership tracker FlixPatrol, the film debuted at number six on the HBO Max movie charts on July 20, 2026, before climbing to number four as of July 21. We'll see whether "Pacific Rim Uprising" can battle its way to the top of the charts as the week goes on, but if you've yet to see the oft-overlooked sequel, this is your sign to remedy that.