Hellboy will be back on the big screen in a year's time, but it won't be the Ron Perlman version last seen in 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Instead, the Dark Horse Comics protagonist is being rebooted, and this time it's Stranger Things' David Harbour who's bringing the character to life. Looking at his height and build, it's understandable why Harbour was selected to play the new Hellboy, but before the actor officially accepted the role, some of his friends tried to convince him not to take part in the reboot. Harbour recalled:
I was approached by some very prominent nerds whom I know very well, and I respect their opinions because they're friends of mine, who were like, 'Dude, step away from the Hellboy. Step away.'
Hearing such requests from those close to him wasn't too surprising to David Harbour, mainly because Hellboy was played so well by Ron Perlman in the two Guillermo del Toro-directed movies last decade. Let's also not forget how polarizing the news of the Hellboy reboot was after years of fans wanting Hellboy III to happen. Nevertheless, Harbour ultimately ignored the requests of these "nerds" and accepted the responsibility of playing Hellboy. As he explained to THR, his version of Hellboy will be a unique take on the character that's closer to the original Dark Horse Comics stories, Plus, with all of the actors over the years who've played comic book characters like Batman and The Joker, he hopes that longtime Hellboy fans and casual moviegoers alike can appreciate both his and Perlman's versions.
David Harbour's profile has increased significantly since he started playing Chief Jim Hopper in Stranger Things, and although he's previously played minor/supporting roles in big movies like Quantum of Solace, Black Mass and Suicide Squad, Hellboy marks his first time being the lead in a blockbuster production. No doubt Harbour realized that shooting Hellboy wouldn't be without its difficulties, but I suspect he weighed the pros and cons of taking the role and realized this would be good for his career. Once the Hellboy reboot comes out, maybe these friends of Harbour will change their tunes and realize that he made the right decision in the end.
The Hellboy reboot will follow the eponymous protagonist and his allies attempting to stop a medieval sorceress from destroying humanity. Along with David Harbour, the main cast includes Ian McShane as Dr. Trevor Bruttenholm, Milla Jovovich as Nimue, Sahsa Lane as Alice Monaghan, Penelope Mitchell as Ganeida and Daniel Dae Kim as Ben Daimio. The Descent's Neil Marshall directed, and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden and Aron Coleite worked on the script.
Hellboy will be released in theater on January 11, 2019. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates on the reboot, and in the meantime, you can scan through our 2018 release schedule to find out what movies are coming out this year.
