In May it was confirmed that demonic-beast-turned-superhero Hellboy will get another chance to impress at the box office.
A new report has revealed more plot details of the reboot as well as confirming numerous shooting locations for the film.
When is he set to return?
The comic-book hero is poised to return to the big screen in 2018, with Stranger Things actor David Harbour set to play Hellboy, whilst Hollywood stalwart Ian McShane will play Hellboy’s adoptive father, Professor Broom. The original working title of the film is commonly listed as Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen but there are numerous reports that this was allegedly dropped in August of this year in favour of the basic Hellboy moniker. Nevertheless, what we do know is that the film will be directed by Neil Marshall, best known for The Descent as well as his work on Game of Thrones, with the creator of the Hellboy character Mike Mignola also involved in the movie.
The previous two Hellboy movies (released in 2004 and 2008, respectively) were directed by legendary director Guillermo Del Toro and went down fairly well with both fans and critics alike. However, with Del Toro allegedly not wanting any part of the new story, the reboot looks to be headed in a darker direction than its predecessors, taking on more mature themes and effectively avoiding the origins route of the comic-book version. The reboot is set to begin production in mid-September in Bulgaria and parts of the UK, with the basic plot of the film centring around: “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.”
The relative cult status of Hellboy, along with the success of the previous films, has spawned a whole host of merchandise, including plush toys, lunchboxes and even zippo lighters, which would presumably be the pick of the bunch for the beast. The fiery superhero has also made a number of appearances in the gaming arena, with various Hellboy-themed slot games on offer. With all promotions available in conjunction with the slot game, there are also plenty of welcome offers for new customers as well as various free spins for those enjoying the various iconography from the series including Right Hand of Doom symbols, as well as Underworld and Chamber of Fire thematic bonus features.
In addition to this, the franchise has also spawned a best-selling video game, Hellboy: The Science of Evil, which was released in 2008 across multiple platforms. The game allows players to control Hellboy from an entertaining third-person perspective as they battle multiple opponents, solve puzzles and complete various tasks to progress through the levels of the game.
The superhero movie genre has come a long way since 2004, when Del Toro’s first Hellboy effort was released and this will certainly benefit Hellboy in the effects arena. It’s fair to say that for its time, the film definitely delivered on the aesthetic front, with the characters looking both realistic and terrifying in equal measure and it will be interesting to see just how the advancement in cinematography will affect the film. One thing is for certain, the reboot promises to both delight and scare its audience whilst retelling the story of a humorous demon with the future of the world in his hands. Whilst there is no definite release date for the film, fans are almost certainly waiting with bated breath for what looks on paper to be another highly successful superhero movie in the making.
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