Oh the Internet. You provide for us such wondrous things, sometimes leaked a day before their time. Case in point, we were promised a trailer for director Neil Marshall's Hellboy reboot tomorrow; and now, thanks to leaks online, you can see the full thing early. Lionsgate has released the official version of the trailer and you can take a look below.
Per usual, Hellboy deals with the demon child brought into this world and raised to protect it. With his Right Hand of Doom, and attitude to spare, Stranger Things star David Harbour plays the titular hero. And he looks extremely at home with the role. Come to think of it, so does Ian McShane, stepping into the shoes of Trevor Bruttenholm, the man who's cared for him all these years.
The return of the B.P.R.D. looks like it couldn't have happened at a better time, as the world order is about to be challenged by supernatural forces that can only be handled by the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Heading those evil forces is none other than Milla Jovovich, playing Nimue, the Blood Queen herself.
Obviously, the big question here is how Harbour and Marshall's work holds up to that of the previous Hellboy franchise. Those movies flourished under the auspices of Ron Perlman as Hellboy and Guillermo del Toro as the director leading the project. To me, it compares pretty damned well. The only real difference is Neil Marshall's Hellboy looks to be a more anarchic R-rated romp, while the del Toro / Perlman variant was more reserved and reverent.
That R-rating is definitely going to make a notable difference, as there's headshots and swearing that you'd probably not count in being in a PG-13 tentpole from the Marvel or DC Universes. But again, this is a fun R-rating, not a dour one. Of course, there's bound to be tons of horror that'll also help earn that extreme rating, as the small glimpses of the Blood Queen's attempted reign of terror hint at some sinister stuff headed our way.
We're never getting the Hellboy III Guillermo del Toro planned, and a cold, hard fact. Still, with Neil Marshall and David Harbour bringing us a fresh Hellboy in theaters next year, fans of Mike Mingola's classic character have nothing to fear. The new take on this world looks witty, as well as action-packed, serving a fresh spin that seems familiar enough to warm the hearts of comic purists and film buffs.
The trailer initially leaked to Streamable before Lionsgate offered the official version, and initially it kinda had me thinking today was Thursday rather than Friday when I woke up. Go easy on 'em, Lionsgate; it happens to lots of us.
Hellboy smashes into theaters on April 12, 2019.
