Hellboy will return to theaters after wandering development hell for the last five years. There is a catch however: it is a reboot.
According to creator Mike Mignola’s Facebook page and The Hollywood Reporter, talks are underway for Neil Marshall to direct Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen. Marshall may be familiar to Game of Thrones fans for realizing the Battle of the Blackwater. He also directed the season four episode, “The Watchers on the Wall.” His other credits include The Decent and Dog Soldiers.
Furthermore, talks are also underway to give the Right Hand of Doom to Stranger Things star David Harbour.
The announcement signals the end of the previous Hellboy film cycle from director Guillermo del Toro. Starring actor Ron Perlman, the two-film series ended on a cliffhanger. In Hellboy: The Golden Army, Hellboy and his team quit their jobs at the BPRD. Fans also left theaters with the possibility of H.B. becoming a father and finally facing his destiny. In the years since its 2008 release, Perlman and del Toro teased a resolution. Instead, the new script by Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden and Mignola will reportedly reintroduce the characters in a new adventure.
Mignola first sketched the character in 1991. He made his first real appearance in 1993’s San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2. “Seed of Destruction,” the first Hellboy storyline, was published by Dark Horse Comics in 1994. Since that time, the character and his world expanded into spinoff series focusing on everything from the BPRD to Hellboy’s childhood hero Lobster Johnson. Miniseries and one-off releases also added depth, even as Hellboy’s journey took him to Hell itself.
Are you excited to see Hellboy return? Or are you disappointed that Perlman will never again chop a cigar and yell “crap!” in red makeup? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
