Update: It was just a month ago that we were charged with hope about the possibility of seeing a third Hellboy film from director Guillermo del Toro. The filmmaker and ostensible social media junkie hit Twitter to ask fans to vote on whether or not they’d like to see a new installment to the long dormant franchise, whose most recent entry came out nine years ago. To little surprise, del Toro’s 100,000-vote requirement was met (and then some), and he pursued a conversation about the prospect with the Hellboy character’s original creator, comic book writer Mike Mignola, and with Hellboy‘s screen star Ron Perlman. And while this seemed like enough to get us amped up for an inevitable threequel, del Toro hit us with the bad news this morning:
Hellboy 3 Sorry to report: Spoke w all parties. Must report that 100% the sequel will not happen. And that is to be the final thing about it
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) February 21, 2017
Not a lot of room for interpretation there. Disappointed though we all may be, perhaps the most overbearing emotion right now is curiosity. Why, if del Toro, Mignola, and Perlman were all willing to discuss the new venture, would it be rendered such an impossibility? Who’s driving the “No” train, and what rationale are they using for fuel? We may never know what’s keeping Hellboy 3 from coming to be, and may indeed always ponder that question. But at least we have a new Hellboy graphic novel hitting shelves this spring to satisfy our Big Red fix.—
Hellboy fans, you did it! Guillermo del Toro’s Twitter poll passed 100k votes sometime in the night, and the beloved cult director will be sitting down with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and the red guy himself, Ron Perlman to discuss a third film.
We have gone past the 100K votes. I will arrange the sitdown w Ron & Mignola to talk HBIII. No gurantee but we will discuss. Wish us luck!!
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 19, 2017
I spoke with Ron Perlman. He's in for the sit down. Will approach Mignola next. Will keep you posted. Very moved by your love of pt I & II
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 19, 2017
More in our original story below.
Director Guillermo del Toro’s pair of Hellboy movies didn’t quite make the kind of money that the X-Men or Batman films did, much less the later Marvel Studios movies, but they have a special place in the hearts of nerds everywhere regardless. Based on creator Mike Mignola’s quirky cult graphic novels from Dark Horse Comics, Hellboy is about a demon spawn raised on Earth as a baby, who nevertheless fought on the side of good for the B.P.R.D., or the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense.
Starring veteran actor (and frequent del Toro collaborator) Ron Perlman as the titular hero, neither 2004’s Hellboy or 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army were major box office hits, (the second film had the misfortune of opening a week after The Dark Knight), but fans have always hoped that somehow, a third Hellboy film would somehow see the light of day.
Now Guillermo del Toro, who is riding high thanks to the success of his Netflix series Trollhunters, has given fans another glimmer of hope that a third chapter in the Hellboy saga could actually become a reality. The director took to his Twitter on Wednesday, January 18, to ask fans just how badly they wanted to see another Hellboy movie, and if they voted “Yes” to the tune of 100,000 likes in 24 hours, then del Toro would have a serious sit down conversation with both Ron Perlman and creator Mike Mignola about making this a reality. You can see Guillermo del Toro’s tweet down below:
The HELLBOY III is our chance to vote the right way in 2017! If 100k votes come in 24 hours I promise to have a sit down w Da Perl & Mignola
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 18, 2017
Informal poll (let’s see how many votes we get in 24 hours)
Hellboy III— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 18, 2017
As I write this, the poll is very nearly there…but if you really want to see Hellboy get a proper conclusion, you’re going to get on Twitter yourself and vote “Hell Yes!” to another chapter in the sage of Big Red, Abe Sapien, and the rest of the B.P.R.D. gang. (And even then, no guarantees.)
Are you as stoked as we are about the possibility of another Hellboy movie making its way to theaters? Let us know down below in the comments!
Image: Universal Studios / Relativity Media
7 Guillermo del Toro movies we wish had happened:
[brightcove video_id=”4569265706001″ brightcove_account_id=”3653334524001″ brightcove_player_id=”2bfa565b-5412-4cfd-9211-6269880b8a5e”]