Earlier this month it was confirmed that the title of the new Hellboy movie would simply be Hellboy, and that producer Lionsgate was considering it a "reboot" of the first 2004 film. Star David Harbour has now spoken about the movie and revealed that it won't spend significant time on Hellboy's origins.
In an interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Harbour explained that the film would drop the audience into the story from the start. "There is something of [his origin], but it's not really an origin story movie," he said. "We kind of pick up the movie like we're running and gunning. We do have a little bit of stuff where we show stuff, but it really is a story and you just drop in with this guy.
"In a way, I feel like that's kind of what Indiana Jones was. You start with him stealing the idol, but also you do go back to the university and you understand he's an archeologist, but this is just a guy who goes and steals idols and fights Nazis and wants to steal the Arc of the Covenant. But you never go back when he's a kid and you're like, 'How did he become Indiana Jones?'
"It's like no, we accept that this is Indiana Jones and I think that's what our story does too. You accept that there's this half-demon guy running around the world and being a paranormal investigator and solving crimes and also dealing with his own issues at the same time."
Hellboy will also star Resident Evil's Milla Jovovich as the villainous Blood Queen, and Deadwood star Ian McShane as Professor Broom, Hellboy's adoptive father. The movie will be directed by Neil Marshall, who is best known for his work on Game of Thrones, as well as movies such as Doomsday and The Descent. The character's creator, Mike Mignola, is also involved with the film, which is set to begin production next month.
Hellboy first appeared in 1993 and has been featured in a wide variety of regular comic books, miniseries, one-shots, and crossovers since then, published by Dark Horse Comics. Guillermo Del Toro directed the original 2004 movie, as well as its 2008 sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army.