There is one superhero franchise that I am 100% behind every step of the way, and that is the Hellboy franchise. It’s been no secret that there could, maybe, possibly, at some point in the future, be a Hellboy 3.
So far that has been a distant dream of desperate fans who want to see the conclusion of the big red guy’s adventures. Now, with Pacific Rim on the way and the possibility of Guillermo del Toro finally getting his due as a big budget director, there’s the barest glimmer of hope that we might actually get to see Hellboy 3 before Ron Perlman is too old for the part.
The glimmer comes from Perlman, del Toro and the head of Legendary Pictures Thomas Tull, all combined. Here’s what del Toro had to say:
I hate giving pieces about it, but last night, we were at dinner and Ron said, ‘I would be very happy to do Hellboy again, when are we doing Hellboy 3?’ Thomas [Tull] said, ‘I would love to see Hellboy 3.’ He didn’t say he would love to do it he just said he’d like to see it, but today, I’ll ask him.
Tull has been slightly non-committal on the issue, saying that there are rights issues to be considered. Legendary is currently in the process of splitting from Warner Brothers, which could complicate any current deals. But Legendary has already decided to start making more niche films, including the upcoming Warcraft, based on the World of Warcraft game, and del Toro’s own gothic ghost story Crimson Peak. Perlman thinks that that Legendary is a perfect studio for Hellboy 3 and I’m inclined to agree.
What turn could the third installment of the franchise possibly take? Well, it would have to be pretty apocalyptic, according to Ron Perlman:
[Hellboy 3] needs to be twice as big as Hellboy 1 or Hellboy 2. It’s all of these oracles coming home to roost with these apocalyptic things taking place. Guillermo’s version of this resolve in the trilogy is epic in scope. Not just anybody can make this movie. It has to be somebody who’s no stranger to this sense of scope. For me to do Hellboy 3, it could kill me – in terms of physically demanding, for a guy my age, but it’s worth it because anyone who sits and listens to Guillermo’s version of how this thing ends is completely seduced. It’s so theatrical and compelling and if you liked the first two movies in any way, shape or form, this is the ultimate one-two punch.
Oh, please let this happen. Please. Ron Perlman is into it, del Toro can do it. It would be amazing. The only reason for this not to happen is … nope, there’s no reason.
Much of this might depend on how well Pacific Rim does at the box office. I rarely want to plug for a movie, but I hope it does better against Grown Ups 2 than projections currently suggest. I mean, c’mon. Giant robots vs. aliens or Adam Sandler’s ego? Let’s get it together guys.
Pacific Rim hits theatres July 12. We’ll keep you updated on Hellboy 3 developments if and when they happen.
