Taglines: He’s got demons.
Hellboy is a supernatural being who is the son of a fallen angel. He came to our world in 1944 as a result of a mystical ritual. The Occultists of the Third Reich had long tried to gain an advantage in the war, hoping to attract the ideal soldier to the ranks of the fascist army. Hellboy was exactly the one they needed, but they never managed to make their plans a reality.
The demon from hell fell into the hands of Americans and began to serve them, protecting the world from mysterious threats. This time he is sent to England to meet face to face with Merlin’s wife. Just a battle with the Blood Queen will lead to the end of the world, which the monster tried to avoid all his life.
Hellboy[a] is a 2019 American superhero film based on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name. Directed by Neil Marshall, the film stars David Harbour in the title role, alongside Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, and Thomas Haden Church. It is a reboot of the Hellboy film series, and the third live-action film in the franchise. The film draws inspiration from the comic books Darkness Calls, The Wild Hunt, The Storm and the Fury, and Hellboy in Mexico. In the film, Hellboy struggles with his own existential crisis while preventing a resurrected sorceress from conquering the world.
The project began as a sequel to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), with Andrew Cosby and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola writing the script. Guillermo del Toro was not offered the full writer-director role he had performed in the first two films, and Ron Perlman, who had portrayed Hellboy in the previous films, refused to return without del Toro’s involvement. The project was turned into an R-rated reboot after Marshall was hired as the director and Harbour cast as Hellboy. Principal photography began in September 2017 in the United Kingdom and Bulgaria and ended in December 2017.
Hellboy was theatrically released on April 12, 2019, to negative reviews, with criticism aimed at the plot, tone, and gore, along with unfavorable comparisons to the del Toro films, but praise for the make-up effects and Harbour’s performance. The film was a box office bomb, grossing $44 million worldwide against a production budget of $50 million.
Cast and Characters
David Harbour as Hellboy / Anung Un Rama
An immensely powerful demon who works for the government organization Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.). Harbour had stated that the film will be a “character piece” and feature mature themes and “complicated subjects” that will warrant the film’s R-rating, stating,
“It really is this study of this man going through this horrible conundrum and we really get to go in deep with him.” Mignola had stated that Harbour had been researching the character, stating, “He’s texting me Hellboy questions about his history, about what the character would think about this or about that.” Mignola described Harbour’s Hellboy as being more dramatic, gritty, and emotionally explosive than Perlman’s.
Milla Jovovich as Nimue
The Blood Queen, a medieval British sorceress who seeks to destroy mankind. Harbour had stated that Hellboy has a “very special relationship” with Nimue and that her role is further expanded on in the film.
Ian McShane as Trevor Bruttenholm
Hellboy’s adoptive father and founder of the B.P.R.D. Harbour confirmed that their version of Bruttenholm is a much harder character who doesn’t sympathize with Hellboy questioning his place in the world.
Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan
A woman of Irish descent who retained some magical abilities after she was kidnapped by fairies as a baby. Harbour stated that the character “gets to play with some really interesting ideas of, sort of, being a witch and having visions.
Daniel Dae Kim as Ben Daimio
A rugged Japanese-American military member of the B.P.R.D. who, due to a supernatural encounter, can turn into a jaguar when angered or in pain. Ed Skrein was originally cast in the role but upon discovering that Daimio was portrayed in the comics as Japanese-American, he dropped out to allow an Asian actor to be cast instead. A month later, Kim was cast in the role.
Brian Gleeson as Merlin A wizard
Sophie Okonedo as Lady Hatton
A resident seer at the Osiris Club, an ancient English club dedicated to uncovering supernatural mysteries.
Penelope Mitchell as Ganeida
An elder witch who has decided that Nimue’s wrath has gone on for too long and must be stopped.
Alistair Petrie as Lord Adam Glaren A high-ranking member of the Osiris Club.
Laila Morse as a BPRD employee
Thomas Haden Church as Lobster Johnson A violent vigilante.
Stephen Graham as Gruagach (voice)
Hellboy (2019)
Directed by: Neil Marshall
Starring: David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, Thomas Haden Church, Penelope Mitchell, Sophie Okonedo, Kristina Klebe, Ashley Edner, Mario de la Rosa
Screenplay by: Andrew Cosby, Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Aron Coleite
Production Design by: Paul Kirby
Cinematography by: Lorenzo Senatore
Film Editing by: Martin Bernfeld
Costume Design by: Stephanie Collie, Zornitsa Tsvetanova
Set Decoration by: Alison Harvey, Valentina Mladenova
Art Direction by: Alexei Karaghiaur, Ivan Ranghelov, Alessandro Troso
Music by: Benjamin Wallfisch
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language.
Distributed by: Summit Entertainment
Release Date: April 12, 2019
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