The massive monsters versus robots movie, Pacific Rim, is still many months away, but Legendary Pictures is clearly high on the movie and are trying to keep director Guillermo del Toro on their team for as long as possible.

It’s being reported that the studio already has plans for Pacific Rim 2, and that del Toro and the first movie’s writer, Travis Beacham, are already set to begin working on the screenplay for the follow-up.

The news comes just after word that Legendary already has del Toro lined up for his next project, a haunted house thriller titled Crimson Peak, which they hope to have in production in early 2014.

Beacham wrote the original spec script for Pacific Rim before del Toro came on board after his H.P. Lovecraft project At the Mountains of Madness crumbled to the ground. While the pair will co-write the sequel, it’s unknown yet whether del Toro will also return to direct.

The only question here is, why—if Legendary is so fond of del Toro’s work (as everyone is) and wants to keep him making movies for them—have they not ponied up the cash and support to let del Toro make his dream project, the aforementioned Mountains of Madness?

Let’s get on that one, shall we?

[Source: Heat Vision]