From Hemlock Grove to The Vampire Diaries to Christopher Fitchett’s The Fear of Darkness, actress Penelope Mitchell has built up a collection of relatively high-profile roles within the industry’s horror/fantasy genre. And now, Deadline brings word of another: Hellboy.
Yes, it’s official: Mitchell has signed on to star in the Neil Marshall-directed reboot, and will join David Harbour (Stranger Things) Ian McShane (American Gods), Sasha Lane, Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil) and, crucially, not Ed Skrein, who took it upon himself to walk away from the Hellboy reboot amid allegations of whitewashing. Something which we can only hope is a sign of Hollywood’s turning tide when it comes to diversity and representation.
Last week, the one-time Deadpool actor boarded Marshall’s project in the role of military chief Major Ben Daimio, a character who was originally portrayed as Asian in Mike Mignola’s cult comic book series. One major outcry later, and following a rather classy move on Skrein’s part, the actor is no longer involved in Hellboy‘s second coming.
Penelope Mitchell is, however, and she’ll play the part of Ganeida, an “elder witch who has decided that Nimue’s wrath has gone on for too long and must be stopped.”
Featuring a story pieced together by Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden, Aron Coleite, and Mike Mignola, the franchise’s founding father, Hellboy is expected to commence production sometime next month ahead of a release in 2018. It’s still early days, then, so expect one or two more casting additions before the cameras start rolling.
Initially hatched as Rise of the Blood Queen, Neil Marshall’s revival has dropped the subtitle in favor of Hellboy. It’s a clean, effective moniker for a film that will supposedly circle back to the character’s “dark, gruesome” roots. And it appears everyone involved is pulling for an R rating. Stay tuned for more on that front.
