Pacific Rim is set in the near future, after the commencement of an alien invasion. Giant creatures called kaiju have been appearing periodically through a portal in the ocean floor and launching devastating attacks on major cities around the world, leading to the deaths of thousands. In response, mankind has created gigantic robots named jaegers, operated via a psychic bond between two pilots.

Two such pilots are washed up former pro Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) and untested trainee Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi), who – in one preview scene we were treated to – attempt to test pilot one of the jaegers, only for things to go drastically wrong when Mako finds herself trapped in a terrifying childhood memory. Other footage showed the first kaiju attack on San Francisco and a deadly battle in the streets of Hong Kong.

Perhaps the most compelling sequence we were shown begins on a foggy, snow-covered beach. An old man and his grandson wander along by the water with a metal detector, searching for junk metal in the sand. Suddenly, the detector goes off and in the next moment, a dark shape is looming out of the fog and crashing onto the beach – it’s a jaeger and it’s severely damaged, to the point of breakdown. As the camera rises above the scene and the lone pilot scrambles from the wreckage we begin to comprehend the scale of these machines and – by extension – the scale of this war.

Going by stylish scenes such as this, Pacific Rim has distinguished itself from other recent action blockbusters, largely thanks to Del Toro’s distinctive, operatic style. The sets, costumes and design, and larger-than-life characters (one set of pilots are a Russian, white-haired brother and sister team) are certainly reminiscent of Del Toro’s Hellboy films – if perhaps on a slightly larger scale.

The special effects and action sequences are incredibly impressive but we’re particularly excited by the cast – Del Toro favourite Ron Perlman and Brits Hunnam (Queer as Folk) and Idris Elba (Luther) certainly look set to impress.

Watch the trailer…

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Following our Pacific Rim sneak preview, we were treated to trailers from six other upcoming Warner Bros releases.

Next up on the Warner Bros slate is Superman origin story Man of Steel. Hitting UK cinemas on 14 June, Man of Steel is directed by Zack Snyder, produced by Christopher Nolan and stars Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon.

The Conjuring, directed by James Wan, is a period horror following a pair of paranormal investigators (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) who find themselves up against a deadly demonic force which has been terrorizing a family with five young daughters. The Conjuring is out in cinemas on 2 August.

We’re The Millers, a comedy from the director of Dodgeball, follows on 23 August. It stars Jason Sudeikis as David, a small-time pot dealer who finds himself pressured into smuggling a haul of marijuana into the US from Mexico. Keen to avoid detection when crossing the border, David enlists the help of his neighbours, played by Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter and Emma Roberts, to masquerade as his clean-cut family.

Tense thriller The Call stars Halle Berry as Jordan, a 911 operator who hears the murder of a young woman taking place over an emergency call. When another young girl (Abigail Breslin) makes a 911 call after being kidnapped by the same man, Jordan vows not to let the killer succeed a second time. The Call is due for release in late September.

Gravity is a claustrophobic thriller from Alfonso Cuarón, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as two astronauts stranded in space when their shuttle explodes. With their oxygen levels depleting, the pair must attempt – against all the odds – to survive.

Finally, Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his directorial debut with Don Jon, a modern romantic comedy. Gordon-Levitt stars as Jon, a womanizing, porn-addicted New Jersey native whose bachelor lifestyle is challenged when he falls for a beautiful young woman (Scarlett Johansson) and starts to reevaluate what’s important in life. Don Jon will be released on 15 November.