Just like Gene Wilder is Willy Wonka, Bruce Willis is John McClane, and Arnold Schwarzenegger is the Kindergarten Cop cop, Ron Perlman is Hellboy. For both movie adaptations, he became Hellboy and just lived inside the role, going so far as to publicly petition for a third movie to allow him to don the red paint again all the way up until del Toro’s confirmation that it wasn’t going to happen.
Instead, for reasons that I can’t wrap my head around, they’re wiping the slate clean on a relatively niche, already established and beloved superhero franchise with Neil Marshall (who is famously hit and miss) at the helm. David Harbour, most famous for gruffing his way through the Upside Down, will be wearing a tail instead of Perlman.
The news was first revealed by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola on Facebook:
The Hollywood Reporter then vouched for the announcement:
“Hellboy, the demonic comic book hero-turned- Guillermo del Toro film franchise, is poised to return to the big-screen, this time without the filmmaker at the helm.
“Millennium is in negotiations with producers Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin for a new installment that would reboot and relaunch the property.”
I just can’t understand the logic behind this. Much like Perlman, Guillermo del Toro has passionately been canvassing for a return to Hellboy’s world for years. Hellboy 3 may not have set the box office alight (just like its two predecessors), but it would have almost definitely found a dedicated following. Not only that, but an R-rating will limit its appeal even more.
Why are they starting over again? Sound off with your thoughts below.
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