Pacific Rim: Uprising, the 2018 sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim, has become one of HBO Max’s most-watched films in the United States despite its disappointing critical and commercial reception on release. The renewed interest appears partly linked to growing attention around actor Cailee Spaeny, whose recent work has prompted viewers to revisit her earlier roles.

The 111-minute film stars John Boyega and Spaeny, making her feature-film debut, and expands the franchise’s futuristic conflict between giant Kaiju monsters and human-piloted Jaeger robots. While it did not match the acclaim of the 2013 original, the article presents it as an effects-heavy, accessible summer spectacle with a young cast whose later careers have raised its profile.