Newcomer Cailee Spaeny lands female lead in 'Pacific Rim 2'

Universal Pictures

and Legendary's '

Pacific Rim

2' has tapped newcomer Cailee Spaeny to portray the female lead.

The actress/pop singer will star alongside '

Star Wars

: The Force Awakens' actor John Boyega and '

Suicide Squad

' star Scott Eastwood, reported Variety.

Details about Spaeny's as well as Eastwood's character are still kept under wraps, but it's been confirmed that the lead actor, Boyega, will portray the son of

Stacker Pentecost

, a character played by Idris Elba in the first film.


Steven S DeKnight is directing the project from a script co-written by Guillermo del Toro, Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder and Travis Beacham.

Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni and del Toro will produce the film along with Boyega and Femi Oguns through their production company,

Upper Room Entertainment

.

The production will begin this November in Australia for a February 23, 2018 release.