Guillermo del Toro has given two thumbs up to Pinewood Toronto Studios by booking his next project, the monster movie Pacific Rim, onto its sound stages for a six-month shoot through April 2012.

The film about a group of humans who use mechas, or piloted robots, to defend earth from an extraterrestrial force, is set to start shooting in Toronto from Oct. 31, 2011.

The Pinewood Toronto Studios booking follows del Toro doing extensive location shooting in Toronto ahead of a fall shoot for Pacific Rim.

Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba and Charlie Day top-line the cast for the sci-fi pic, which has a working title in Toronto as Still Seas to keep the high-profile project under close wraps.

The production manager on Pacific Rim, which is set to be released by Warner Bros. in July 2013, is D.J. Carson.

Elspeth Cassar is the production coordinator, while Callum Greene will executive produce.

Legendary Pictures’ Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing.