Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has denied rumors that a reboot is currently in the works over at Netflix. Mignola's character made his comic-book debut back in 1993. He was originally adapted for the big screen by Guillermo del Toro in 2004. A sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was released in 2008. Ron Perlman starred as the eponymous character in both outings. Even though fans clamored for Hellboy III for almost a decade, del Toro and Perlman couldn't find a way to make it work. As such, any plans to see the saga wrapped up as a trilogy quickly evaporated.
Instead, it was announced that fans would get a full-fledged reboot. In 2017, it was reported that Mignola would have a hand in the script. He would ultimately end up being uncredited in the film, however, with Eureka's Andrew Cosby listed as the only writer. The film was directed by Neil Marshall (Game of Thrones) and starred David Harbour (Stranger Things) as the demonic hero. Unfortunately, despite remaining faithful to the comics and boasting a strong cast, which also included Ian McShane (John Wick) and Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), the film received negative reviews and bombed at the box office.
Posting on Twitter, Mignola revealed that, to the best of his knowledge, there's definitely not another reboot set to begin production at Netflix. Rumblings of a Netflix adaptation have been circulating for a while now, but appear to have gained steam in recent weeks. Sadly, responding to a tweet that appeared to be sharing the speculation, Mignola stated that it definitely wasn't true. He didn't clarify whether it was something that had been discussed or that he would like to see happen in the future, merely that there were no plans currently in place. The short statement can be seen in full below:
The introduction of Koshchei the Deathless in the latest film served as a testament to Lionsgate's faith in the franchise, despite its reported behind-the-scenes troubles. Sadly, it would appear that any potential for a sequel will be quashed by the film's poor reception - unless, as predicted by Milla Jovovich, who played the film's villain, Hellboy is destined to be a cult classic. As such, Lionsgate will likely focus its attention more on the newly confirmed John Wick 4 and the recently announced Chris Rock-helmed reboot of the Saw franchise.
It's easy to see why fans would've latched on to the idea of a Netflix adaptation. Although Perlman was widely considered a pitch-perfect iteration of Hellboy, there's a general sense that there's yet to be a truly definitive take on the character's unique world. So expansive and ripe with promise is the source material, that a series would no doubt be a perfect fit. It would certainly allow a lot more time to explore the vast mythology and flesh out the characters' to their fullest extent. Netflix, especially, would no doubt make a good home - especially alongside such other monster-hunting, fantasy shows as their upcoming adaptation of The Witcher. Unfortunately, as things stand, fans of Hellboy look set to begin another potentially long wait for a fresh attempt to come around.
Source: Mike Mignola