Neil Marshall’s Hellboy reboot starring David Harbour as the demonic comic book antihero will soon be releasing its first trailer. Created by Mike Mignola, Hellboy first appeared in Dark Horse Comics in the 1990s. In 2004, future Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro brought the character to the screen with Ron Perlman in the title role, which he followed up with the 2008 sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
The ever-persistent del Toro endeavored for years to continue the Hellboy franchise after Hellboy: The Golden Army, but finally gave up the dream in 2017. It was soon announced that Hellboy would indeed continue after all, but without del Toro at the helm. The rebooted Hellboy was instead directed by Neil Marshall, with Stranger Things star David Harbour taking over for Perlman. Milla Jovovich co-stars as the comic book villain Nimue The Blood Queen, and Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, and Sophie Okonedo also star.
Fans who attended the Hellboy panel at this summer’s New York Comic Con in San Diego were treated to a trailer, but thus far the world at large has yet to see the clip. That may be about to change soon, however, as Trailer Track reports that the trailer may debut as early as next week. Speculation is that the trailer will be attached to Aquaman, which would make sense if Lionsgate wants to get the footage in front of the maximum number of eyes over the Christmas holiday.
Besides the change in director and star, Hellboy appears to be significantly different than the del Toro movies in other ways. For one thing, the movie is expected to carry an R rating, meaning there will be a lot more graphic violence, as well as more blood and gore - which, in fact, is more in keeping with the original comics. The look of Hellboy himself is also more comics-accurate, as revealed by previously released poster images. In general, the new movie leans more heavily on the original comics in terms of story, at least according to creator Mike Mignola.
Hellboy fans who thought del Toro strayed too far from the source material will no doubt be thrilled to learn that Neil Marshall’s reboot appears to stick closer to the comics in regard to look and tone. That being said, the del Toro movies have their admirers too, and there’s no question del Toro brought a distinctive feel to the material that worked well in its own way; and, for now, it remains to be seen if the new Hellboy will break out of the cult movie box and become a true hit. Producing an R-rated comic book movie was once considered a big gamble, but after the success of Logan and Deadpool, it’s maybe not such a huge roll of the dice to go for graphic violence and other adult content in such a project.
More: 20 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of Hellboy
Source: Trailer Track
- Hellboy Release Date: 2019-04-12
