In 2017, The Oscar-winning filmmaker crushed the hearts of millions of fans by announcing that there wouldn’t be another Hellboy sequel. Guillermo del Toro has documented the struggles that he has dealt with when it comes to the Hellboy sequel. The 58-year-old brought the anti-hero to life in 2004, and it was a critically darling.
The problem is, Hellboy wasn’t much of a financial success. Sadly, the same thing goes for Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Guillermo del Toro explained his reasoning for studios not wanting to greenlight a third film, with the high budget being the biggest issue: “I think that the first movie made it’s budget back, and a little but of profit, but then it was very very big on video and DVD.” Guillermo said during his interview with Entertainment Weekly. The story repeated itself with the second already, it made its money back at the box office, but a small margin of profit in the release of the theatrical print, but was very very big on DVD and video. Sadly now from a business point of view all the studios know is that you don’t have that net of the DVD and video, so they view the project as dangerous.”
Financially, it makes sense that the studios are hesitant to make another Hellboy film. The character isn’t a well-known name like Batman or Captain America, despite the Hellboy narrative being fascinating and unique. Summit is trying to reboot the Hellboy franchise once again after the 2019 version flopped. However, executives would be wise to simply let Guillermo del Toro finish off the trilogy.
Guillermo del Toro Is An Oscar-Winning Director
Hollywood is a business first and foremost, so accolades such as Emmys or Oscars don’t, particularly matter much to top-level executives. Why is this relevant? Well, Hellboy is right up Gullermo del Toro’s alley. The filmmaker has a knack for crafting strange and unique storytelling involving monsters. Del Toro became well-known after his hit, Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water — the film he won a Best Picture Oscar — further establishes his strong storytelling ability.
Of course, it helps that the first two films in the Hellboy franchise were excellent. Del Toro brought out the unique lore of the character that made him stand out in the mainstream. There are so many great stories in the Hellboy comics that make the character such a rich and compelling figure. Guillermo del Toro has proven to be the perfect man for the job, and given how much he’s grown his fanbase since 2008, the audience would surely keep an eye out for the sequel if his name is mentioned.
He Understands That The Lore Is Beyond The Supernatural
The biggest issue with the 2019 reboot is that the film felt desperate to be different. The obsessive use of swearing, the excessive amounts of gory, and the puzzling use of the supernatural. The reboot wasn’t without its cool moments. However, the focus was on the supernatural aspect of Hellboy‘s story, instead of the surprising depth and heart that Del Toro’s version brought.
Hellboy‘s narrative does deserve its spotlight in the mainstream. But it’s about the character growth that really attached audiences to Ron Pearlman‘s version. The cast is outstanding, especially David Harbour, who knocks out his performance with ease. But somewhere along the way, Neil Marshall forgets why the comics were so beloved and failed to properly develop Hellboy and the strange world that he navigates in.
Guillermo Del Toro Is A Perfect Match For Hellboy’s Style
Marshall can’t be blamed for the lackluster visuals in the reboot. In fact, that’s the big reason studios haven’t been too interested in doing Hellboy 3 because it’s a franchise that’s packed with a certain style that demands a big budget. However, the reboot flopped with $50 million. There’s no telling what the budget of the latest incarnation will be. But given the Crooked Man story will take place in the 1950s, it certainly won’t be a cheap prospect.
Del Toro is a master at this craft and will surely bring out the best with a limited budget. The Hellboy reboot tried to play as a big budget blockbuster film. When in truth, Del Toro showcased that the franchise works best when it’s more than just an action spectacle. Del Toro’s films allowed audiences to soak in the gorgeous visuals because the storytelling was beyond the character itself.
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