Though Marvel and DC have long dominated the comic book landscape, Dark Horse has had a solid run in its 30 years of life. While they’ve yet to wade into movie theaters as deeply as the two titans, they’ve been met with modest success there. Created in 1993 by writer and artist Mike Mignola, Hellboy is one of the publisher’s most successful series and one of the most popular indie superheroes. Despite the supernatural setting and unusual looking characters, the franchise was able to be translated into a fairly well-received movie back in 2004. A sequel followed, but neither proved to be box office hits. Still, they did well enough and built themselves a cult following.
In the intervening nine years since the last film, fans have been eagerly anticipating director Guillermo del Toro and star Ron Perlman re-teaming for a third installment in the franchise. Though they’ve both been optimistic at times, each passing year has made the possibility of Hellboy 3 seem less likely. That all changed yesterday when del Toro took to Twitter with a poll asking fans if he, Perlman, and Mignola should move forward with the project. Unsurprisingly, the fans responded with a resounding, “Yes!”
Earlier today, the director took to his Twitter to reveal the good news about the poll’s success and announced he was making good on his promise to open up talks for Hellboy 3 with the other creatives involved.
We have gone past the 100K votes. I will arrange the sitdown w Ron & Mignola to talk HBIII. No gurantee but we will discuss. Wish us luck!!— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 19, 2017
While del Toro promised tempered expectations, things look to have moved quicker than even he expected. Just a few hours after his tweet announcing the talks would proceed, he took to Twitter again to let fans know that Ron Perlman had agreed to join the discussion.
I spoke with Ron Perlman. He’s in for the sit down. Will approach Mignola next. Will keep you posted. Very moved by your love of pt I & II— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) January 19, 2017
It’s likely that creator Mike Mignola will be equally interested in joining the talks. After all, it’s hardly a guarantee that the film will be made, but Mignola will surely want to be involved in any discussion surrounding his property. Assuming he’s in and the talks go well, the next step would probably be securing financing and a studio. That shouldn’t prove too difficult either, as studios are desperate to compete with Marvel, Warner Bros., and Fox and their juggernaut superhero franchises. Add in a well-respected director like del Toro, whose name still carries a lot of weight, and there’s a good chance someone will want to take the reigns of the fan-favorite franchise
While it’s taken awhile for the talks to get going, the film landscape is much different than it was nine years ago. Back then, Marvel Studios and Christopher Nolan hadn’t yet proven just how commercially and artistically successful films based on comic books could be with the right creative team attached. Deadpool, another long-gestating superhero project, proved how a rabid fan base was enough to garner a greenlight. It also proved that a smaller-budget could yield a huge return with the right script, director, and star. All the pieces are in place for Hellboy 3 to finally get made, so now it’s just a matter of waiting.
Screen Rant will have more details for you on Hellboy 3 as news emerges.
Source: Guillermo del Toro
