It was just about a month ago when I had conversations with S&A readers on Twitter about John Boyega’s prospects post-“Star Wars,” given that since the release of that blockbuster, Boyega has mostly watched idly as his co-stars have landed other work (Daisy Ridley especially, whose booked at least 3 starring roles in other projects in that time period).

No longer does he have to do that, as Boyega has booked a couple of high profile projects in the last month, including being tapped by Legendary Pictures to star in the upcoming sequel to “Pacific Rim,” which Steven S. DeKnight is directing.

Set to begin filming in the fall of this year, the second film in the franchise created by Guillermo del Toro (who directed the first film) and Travis Beacham, will see Boyega play the son of the character that Idris Elba played in the original 2013 film, which grossed $411 million worldwide ($300 million was from overseas).

Universal has now dated the film, setting a Friday, February 23, 2018 premiere for the film, although still no plot details.

Boyega will not only star, but will also produce the film, a big move for him, alongside his manager Femi Oguns, under their Upper Room Productions shingle.

Thomas Tull, Mary Parent, Jon Jashni, and del Toro will also produce the action adventure film.

The plot for the sequel has been kept under wraps for now. The first film was set in the future, with Earth at war with the Kaiju – monsters which have emerged from an interdimensional portal on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. To combat the monsters, humanity unites to create the Jaegers, gigantic humanoid machines, each controlled by at least two pilots, whose minds are joined.

Said del Toro: “I am very proud and happy to welcome John into a fantastic sandbox. The ‘Pacific Rim’ universe will be reinforced with him as a leading man as it continues to be a multicultural, multi-layered world. ‘The World saving the world’ was our goal and I couldn’t think of a better man for the job.”

Boyega will next be seen with Tom Hanks and Emma Watson in “The Circle.” Just last week, he booked a role in Kathryn Bigelow’s untitled true crime drama from an original screenplay by Mark Boal. Specific details about the Detroit project are being kept mostly underwraps for now, other than that it will be set against the backdrop of Detroit’s devastating riots that took place over five haunting summer days in 1967.

Boyega is repped by WME and Identity Agency Group in the UK and Hansen Jacobson.