'Hellboy' Reboot Will Be "Darker, More Gruesome"

Fan reaction to this week’s news about a “Hellboy” reboot has been decidedly split. While many have been sad Guillermo del Toro won’t helm this new film or have Ron Perlman as the lead, there are also fans who are happy that they’re making any “Hellboy” movie at all. Either way you look at it, audiences will be getting a new “Hellboy,” and it seems like this version is going to be pretty different than what’s been done previously.

In an interview with Silver Screen Beat, writer Andrew Cosby was asked about what fans should expect in the new film. “I can’t really talk about specifics with regard to the story, which they’re keeping a pretty tight lid on at the moment, but I can say that this is a darker, more gruesome version of ‘Hellboy,’” Cosby said. “Neil [Marshall] said from the very beginning that he wanted to walk a razor’s edge between horror and comic book movie, which was music to my ears, because that’s what I was shooting for in the script, and precisely what [Mike] Mignola does so well with the comics.”

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For those who are not familiar with the character of Hellboy except for what has been done in the del Toro films, the character created by Mike Mignola differs quite a bit from the character that has lasted so long in comic-book form. Mignola created a character that was rooted in horror, with a much more gothic, macabre tone. The del Toro films, while incredibly creative and fun, were a big departure from what was done for years in comics.

Early word on the film from Mignola, and now Cosby, is that this is going to be the version of Hellboy that comic-book fans have been waiting for. Hiring Neil Marshall to direct should been proof enough that they’re leaning more towards horror than the fantasy that del Toro gave audiences.

No release date has been set for what’s been tentatively titled “Hellboy: Rise Of The Blood Queen,” but Cosby says they’re working hard. Cosby said, “Honestly, everyone has just been working overtime to bring that Mignola magic to the big screen. The script is done, but work will continue as we move forward, always trying to make it the best it can be.” [via JoBlo]