By now, doubtless you are aware that Hellboy is being remade and it is being remade without the likes of Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman. In their stead are Neil Marshall and David Harbour, and opinions vary widely depending on whom you ask about the new pairing. While Guillermo del Toro has already given the new project a thumbs up (although not his outright blessing), he recently had some nice things to say about new Hellboy David Harbour, too. According to the director,
I like him. I don't know him and I'm not involved with the movie. But I sure wish them luck, man. He's a great guy.
Following the announcement that Hellboy was getting remade, there really were myriad feelings about the upcoming version of the flick. Some people involved with the original movies, like Selma Blair and Jeffrey Tambor, have been outspoken regarding the studio's desire to totally change the franchise and drop the original people who brought it to life. For Guillermo del Toro, things have been a little calmer. The famous director also previously said that he didn't get to make the decisions about what Hellboy-related projects get made, but he still wished the new creative team godspeed,
I don't own Hellboy, Mike [Mignola] does. So, you know, he is the father of the character and if he wants to reboot it, it's perfectly fine. I got to make two -- that's two more than I thought I would get to make... So you know, as far as I'm concerned godspeed and god bless.
Thus, the latest comments Guillermo del Toro made fit in with what he has said about the remake of the popular property prior. However, the famed director also jokingly confirmed to Screen Geek that while he expects David Harbour to do good things, there's no chance he'll be as good as Ron Perlman. It's a sentiment some fans might agree with, but hopefully David Harbour's Hellboy will also be different than what Ron Perlman brought to the big screen, otherwise why redo the character at all? (As for Ron Perlman, he's not talking about the upcoming movie.) Previously, we learned those close to the film have promised a "darker" and "more gruesome" Hellboy, and only time will tell if that concept works on the big screen.
Hellboy, currently subtitled Rise of the Blood Queen, is currently getting production off the ground, and David Harbour has already tried on the look he'll be wearing in the new movie. The flick is expected to get a 2018 release date, although there's nothing set in stone yet. We'll keep you updated as Hellboy continues to move forward. In the meantime, Guillermo del Toro has the deliciously creepy-looking (and well-reviewed) The Shape of Water coming up on December 8. You can also take a look at what else is heading into theaters, here.
