With production set to begin this month in Bulgaria, the cloak of mystery surrounding Neil Marshall's upcoming Hellboy movie is beginning to be pulled back. In fact, an alleged plot synopsis for the franchise reboot has emerged that certainly seems to jive with its originally-reported title, Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen. The following story text was uploaded this week to an online film and television production database:
The film is about Hellboy going to England, where he must defeat Nimue, Merlin's consort and the Blood Queen. But their battle will bring about the end of the world, a fate he desperately tries to turn away.
That's what was posted yesterday to MyEntertainmentWorld, and fans of Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics will certainly recognize the Nimue character and know the threat she offers to both Hellboy and the planet itself. An ancient force, Nimue appeared before King Arthur as the Lady of the Lake. Learning from Merlin his many secrets, Nimue betrayed the wizard and turned her worship to the Ogdru Jahad, massive ancient beasts who lie in wait to bring about the end of the world. Since we know that Milla Jovovich has been cast in the Nimue role, it certainly sounds like this synopsis is legit.
While the end of the world may be a common stake in comic book movies, having a new Hellboy movie that centers on the apocalypse is of particular interest because that's something that Guillermo del Toro had said he had wanted to explore in the un-produced finale to his cinematic Hellboy trilogy. There, it had been foretold that Hellboy himself would be responsible for the apocalypse. That could easily still be the case with this plot synopsis.
Just to be clear, no one should expect this new Hellboy to in any way continue from the events of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, as it has been confirmed that the film will offer its own take on the comic book hero. With Stranger Things' David Harbour taking over the title role from Ron Perlman, though, there's a chance that Neil Marshall's R-rated take on the franchise will fall more in line with the James Bond series, allowing new artists to approach an ongoing narrative with loose continuity. That's a fair enough approach when you remember that Mike Mignola himself didn't draw all of Hellboy's comic book appearances. Over the years, various talents have given the character their own unique approaches.
Remember, too, that Hellboy's connection to the apocalypse goes back not just to the Guillermo del Toro films, but to the original Dark Horse comics. There, Hellboy's battle with Nimue ended in the hero's death in 2011. Death was not the end for Hellboy, however, as one final arc, Hellboy in Hell, brought Mike Mignola back as both writer and artist. Hellboy's original story finally concluded just last year, and it's quite possible that the new film will attempt to launch a franchise with a similar narrative path.
Whatever the case may be, check back for details on the new Hellboy movie as they become available.
