Earlier this year fans of Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy series were given a glimmer of hope that the third instalment might finally become a reality, before del Toro seemingly hammered a nail in the coffin by stating that he’d been unable to secure financing for the long-rumoured sequel. Well, the on-off saga has taken another twist, with del Toro and star Ron Perlman suggesting that Legendary Pictures – the production company behind the upcoming Pacific Rim – could be interested in rescuing Hellboy 3 from development hell.
“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?'” del Toro tells Shock Till You Drop. “[Legendary Pictures CEO] 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.”
“Not just anybody can make this movie,” adds Ron Perlman. “I loved working for Legendary and I know for Guillermo working on Pacific Rim was one of his greatest experiences. The reason I loved working for them is because Guillermo was so happy. I came in six months into the shoot and he seemed as fresh as a daisy, simply because he was working for someone who appreciated and supported his outlandish visions of what he wanted to put on the screen. My immediate, silent wish was, wouldn’t it be great if these guys came in and helped resolve the Hellboy series.”
Of course, Legendary’s interest in Hellboy 3 could be dependent on the box office success of Pacific Rim, and according to early tracking, the big-budget kaiju homage is heading for an underwhelming theatrical run when it opens in cinemas later this month.
Originally published July 1, 2013. Updated November 6, 2019.
