News: Mike Mignola Talks Hellboy Reboot - It Will Be Closer To A Horror Film



We've gotten some new information about the upcoming Hellboy reboot from creator Mike Mignola, who recently spoke with Newsarama about the project. First, the title has been changed from Hellboy: The Rise of the Blood Queen to simply Hellboy. The new film is looking to follow the comics more closely than the Guillermo del Toro versions, with Mignola actually less involved in this one than the previous ones. He said that:

"I was super involved Guillermo del Toro’s movies way more than this one. In those I worked in pre-production and I was on set a lot of the time. As time went on, he and I had different ideas on what should happen.

And this new movie, I don’t have much hands-on involvement. I’m not doing any concept art. I am doing consulting, but I think from day one in discussions about the look and feel of this new movie, the director seems to be very much closer to the tone of the vision I wanted it to be."

This would explain why del Toro is longer involved with the franchise, as their visions just didn't mesh. He goes on to talk about director Neil Marshall and how he is set to take into darker direction, saying:

"Where Hellboy II: The Golden Army was a light fantasy film, this will be very much darker – close to a horror film. I’ve met some people doing pre-production, and I visit the person doing the creature effects. I’m very happy with what I’ve seen so far: I give them my two cents, then get out of the way. But I’m very happy they’re asking my opinion, and giving me opportunities to solve certain creative problems."

He also confirms that the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.), saying:

"The B.P.R.D. figures into the movie. I don’t want to say who is and who isn’t in the movie. I think it’s fair to say, however, that the primary focus is Hellboy and not a B.P.R.D. team movie."

It will begin shooting next month. Neil Marshall (The Descent, Dog Soldiers) is set to directing, with David Harbour (Stranger Things) replacing Ron Perlman as Hellboy. They will be joined by Ian McShane (Deadwood) as Professor Bloom, and Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) as the main villain the Blood Queen. Aron Coleite is currently working on a draft of the script that was written by Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden, and Mike Mignola. Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin, and Mike Richardson are serving as producers. Millenium Films and Lionsgate are producing the film, with Christa Campbell, Lati Grobman, and Carl Hampe serving as executive producers.