Yahoo News Hellboy: Everything you need to know about the 2019 movie
"We need to finish this trilogy," Ron Perlman said back in September 2015. Fans were overjoyed when Perlman was cast as the half-demon who fights for the good of mankind. With monster groupie Guillermo del Toro on as director, the Hellboy franchise looked in good hands.
But turning that third film into a reality proved to be too much of an uphill battle, with just not enough bums on seats for the first two to justify it.
This being Hollywood, when one door closes another opens and that allowed director Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent and the Game of Thrones episode 'Blackwater') to get his reboot off the ground.
Devour everything you need to know about Big Red's 2019 reboot below and then head to the Digital Spy forums to have your say.
Hellboy 3 trailer: Watch them here!
At New York Comic-Con in early October, the crowd at the Hellboy panel were treated to a sizzle reel which went down an absolute treat in the room. Sadly, Harbour has confirmed we won't be seeing it online.
And then, one day earlier than expected, Lionsgate revealed the first trailer for the reboot on December 19.
The trailer sees Hellboy find himself under fire from all sides - including from the SAS and even EastEnders' Big Mo (for real!) - when he reluctantly ends up in the middle of supernatural warfare.
Along with the trailer, we got a brand new poster too.
And then we were treated to a second, bloodier trailer for the reboot on March 1 that's packed with nods to the comic books.
It also shows off more of the movie's villainous Blood Queen and Hellboy's origins.
Hellboy 3 title: Hellboy reboot or Hellboy 2019?
Technically, this is Hellboy 3 but given everything Perlman said about finishing the trilogy that feels wrong.
It was originally subtitled Rise of the Blood Queen, which removed the need for this kind of deep thinking but that's since been dropped for the more reboot-friendly Hellboy.
Hellboy 3 cast: What, no Ron Perlman?
We're going to come right out with it, Ron Perlman is Hellboy. When we first heard they were doing a Hellboy movie without him, we were shocked. And then images started to appear of Stranger Things star David Harbour as the demonic do-gooder.
Looking like a fiery gargoyle who's stopped by the armoury, he's every bit as Hellboy as Perlman was. It's images like this that make us think they'll be able to recast key roles like Wolverine in the future.
Harbour even managed to get the nod from his predecessor when the pair met for dinner. Perlman and Harbour came together for lunch at the invite of comedian Patton Oswalt so that the original Hellboy could officially give his blessing.
Alongside Harbour (who looked totally ripped even back in that first image), Hellboy will star American Gods' Ian McShane (cornering the market in magical daddies).
Previously played by John Hurt, academic Trevor Bruttenholm (pronounced Broom) is Hellboy's surrogate father and an expert on the supernatural who heads up the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD).
He died very early on in the first film (and even earlier in the comics) but later stories have explored his life from World War II and beyond.
Hellboy has also signed up a solid star as its chief antagonist. Resident Evil icon Milla Jovovich is playing Nimue the Blood Queen, who may be better known to many as the Lady of the Lake – a powerful British witch from Arthurian legend, also called the Queen of Blood.
We got our first look at the Blood Queen in a new poster that was released during New York Comic Con.
One snag the movie's casting department did hit was complaints of whitewashing. Fans were annoyed that the role of Ben Daimio, an Asian-American character in the comics who works for the BPRD, was originally handed to white Deadpool actor Ed Skrein.
To his credit, Skrein publicly resigned from the comic adaptation after fans voiced their concerns: "I have decided to step down so the role can be cast appropriately. Representation of ethnic diversity is important, especially to me as I have a mixed heritage family."
Lost's Daniel Dae Kim then confirmed his casting as the military badass following Skrein's departure. Kim commended Skrein for standing aside after the whitewashing backlash.
"I applaud the producers and, in particular, Ed Skrein for championing the notion that Asian characters should be played by Asian or Asian-American actors," he said. "He could not have addressed the issue more elegantly and I remain indebted to him for his strength of character."
Thankfully, it all ended nicely for the actors and the pair bonded over the experience. Skrein and Kim eventually hung out and became friends.
"I don't necessarily believe that everything happens for a reason, but I'm sure glad this did. Thanks for the opportunity to get to know one another in person, @edskrein," Daniel wrote. "Grateful to now call you #friend."
In other casting news Sasha Lane will play Alice Monaghan, Penelope Mitchell will play elder witch Ganeida, Sophie Okonedo will play Lady Hatton, Brian Gleeson will play Merlin and Alistair Petrie will plau Lord Adam Glaren, a high-ranking member of the Osiris Club.
Hellboy 3 release date: No more pushbacks!
There we were hoping Hellboy would be around to scare away the winter blues. The film was originally scheduled for release in the US on January 11, 2019, but according to The Hollywood Reporter this has now been pushed back by three months into April.
Hellboy will now be released on April 12, 2019 in the US and we're just hoping there are no further delays (and that the UK and US get the film at the same time).
Hellboy 3 plot: Monster hunter or queen sacrifice?
As already stated, the film was previously subtitled Rise of the Blood Queen. The action-adventure movie will bring Hellboy, his dad Dr Bruttenholm, ex-military BPRD agent Ben Daimio and the mystical Alice Monaghan to battle Milla Jovovich in that royal role.
Entertainment Weekly's exclusive first look at the Hellboy poster on social media also claimed: "Stranger Things star David Harbour will play the monster hunter in the film." We know that the bat-like Camazotz will make a good prey if Harbour's Hellboy does go down the creature-hunting route.
Ben Daimio also transforms into a were-jaguar under stress, which we think will probably become relevant at some point during the course of this film.
Hellboy is released on April 12, 2019.
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