Hellboy reboot coming with David Harbour starring & Neil Marshall directing

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Guillermo Del Toro and Ron Perlman may not get to make a third HELLBOY movie they’ve been trying to get going for a decade or so, but that doesn’t mean no one else will get a shot at the big bad demon slayer. Word is the red hero is getting the reboot treatment sans the famed duo, this time with STRANGER THINGS actor David Harbour and director Neil Marshall taking their places.

THR got the scoop that Millennium is currently in negotiations with Larry Gordon and Lloyd Levin to reboot the franchise with Dark Horse Entertainment set to produce. The working title of the film is HELLBOY: RISE OF THE BLOOD QUEEN, with Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden and creator of the comic, Mike Mignola, having written the script. Mignola himself went on record to say the film will be R-rated:

Harbour is in talks to play the bearded demon hero with a mighty fist, and Marshall has made a name for himself with horror movies like THE DESCENT and episodes of WESTWORLD and GAME OF THRONES. Marshall is reportedly working on a new script with Aron Coelite, who worked on the show HEROES and is now working on STAR TREK: DISCOVERY.

You may be wondering why they didn't let Del Toro make his third film with Perlman, as that’s the movie fans of the character have been dying for to see for years. Some time ago Del Toro mentioned how discussions were ongoing about a third film, which he had with Gordon, Levin and Dark Horse, the current controllers of the series. Turns out Del Toro wanted too much money for his grand vision, and it was thought a reboot of the series was the best option.

The Del Toro movies may have won over critics and comic fans, but the movies were never really box office hits, with the two movies making a combined global total of $260 million. The last film, THE GOLDEN ARMY, came out in 2008 and Del Toro seemed confident his vision would not be complete any time soon.

The HELLBOY movies are great, but I can’t say I’ve watched them fondly over and over again, but that's not to say I haven't watched them more than once. Del Toro’s love for practical effects and makeup is really what made them stand out on a visual level, and I think that’s what I’ll miss most. But, it’s been so many years, and I think a relaunch may be the only way to really get audiences back in the theaters. It’s kind of a sucky truth to admit, but there you go. Harbour is no Perlman, but he has the build and attitude to fit the role nicely. Marshall is no Del Toro but…yeah…