null Here's your first official look at Idris Elba (courtesy of MovieHole) in the Warner Bros. Guillermo Del Toro-directed epic sci-fi adventure film Pacific Rim, which will be released on July 12th, 2013.

The film is set in a future in which malevolent creatures threaten the earth, as the planet must band together and use highly advanced technology to eradicate the growing menace.

Idris plays a character known as Lieutenant-Commander Stacker Pentecost, commanding officer of star Charlie Hunnam‘s character.

I should note that Tom Cruise was initially attached to play Stacker Pentecost, before he left the project and Elba took over. So it should very well be a plump role; although, the cynic in me is considering the possibility that the character Cruise was originally set to play isn't depicted/written the same way as the character Idris signed up for. From Hollywood's POV, Cruise and Elba aren't exactly interchangeable (at least, not yet), and I'm not just talking skin color.

Travis Beacham wrote the screenplay for Pacific Rim, and Legendary Pictures' Jon Jashni and Thomas Tull are producing. It's currently in post production, and rumor has it that it'll be released in 3D (according to MarketSaw), and that clips of it will be shown at Comic-Con in July.

I'm a fan of director Guillermo del Toro's work, so, Idris or no Idris, I'm still excited about this.

The official synopsis, released by WB follows below:

From acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro comes Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ epic sci-fi action adventure “Pacific Rim.”

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity’s resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes—a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi)—who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind’s last hope against the mounting apocalypse.

Oscar® nominee Guillermo del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) is directing “Pacific Rim” from a script by Travis Beacham (“Clash of the Titans”). Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni and Mary Parent are producing, with Callum Greene serving as executive producer.

The film stars Charlie Hunnam (TV’s “Sons of Anarchy”), Idris Elba (“Thor”), Rinko Kikuchi (“The Brothers Bloom”), Charlie Day (“Horrible Bosses”), and Ron Perlman (the “Hellboy” films). The ensemble cast also includes Max Martini, Robert Kazinsky, Clifton Collins, Jr., Burn Gorman, Larry Joe Campbell, Diego Klattenhoff, and Brad William Henke.

Del Toro’s behind-the-scenes team includes Academy Award®-winning director of photography Guillermo Navarro, production designer Andrew Neskoromny, editor Peter Amundson, and costume designer Kate Hawley.

Slated for release in Summer 2013, “Pacific Rim” is a presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.