Hellboy reboot director Neil Marshall says we can expect the movie to be made as much as possible using practical effects, with only limited reliance on CGI. Marshall also notes that with the movie being given the go-ahead to be R-rated, he will have fewer restrictions placed on him and will be able to deliver a bloodier take on the character that is truer to the source material.

The previous two Hellboy films, both rated PG-13, were directed by acclaimed filmmaker Guillermo del Toro that earned a cult following. Del Toro attempted to get a third Hellboy movie off the ground himself but was unable to make it happen, and now Dark Horse Entertainment and Millennium Films have turned to Doomsday director Marshall to take on the next installment in the franchise based on Mike Mignola's comic books (tentatively titled Hellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen). Stranger Things actor David Harbour has been brought aboard to replace Ron Perlman as the title character, a gruff-but-well-meaning red-skinned demonic superhero who pummels his enemies with an oversized "right hand of doom."

In an interview featured on Mick Garris' Post Mortem podcast (via EW), Marshall talked about his desire to eschew CGI as much as possible and employ practical effects to bring Hellboy back to life:

Ron Perlman as Hellboy

“It’s definitely going to be as practical as we can possibly make it. I love to do stuff in camera whenever I possibly can, and use CG as the amazing tool that it is, to enhance or expand upon the world, but not to use it to replace reality, when you can do it [for] real.”

Marshall also talked about being given the greenlight to make an R-rated movie and how that may influence the gore factor of the reboot:

“We’ve been granted permission to do it R-rated, which for me is just like taking the cuffs off. It’s like, okay, so now we can just make the movie we want to make. It’s not like I’m going to force it to be R-rated, but if it happens to come out that way, just because of my own sensibilities, then fine. And nobody’s going to stop us. So, that’s the main [difference]. And I’m sure, obviously, the success of things like Deadpool and Logan have not hurt that cause. But, also, when you go back the original material, it is kind of bloody, so I’m going to embrace that.”

Though fans fell in love with Del Toro's Hellboy films, it sounds like Marshall has an eye on creating his own distinct take on the character and world, one that takes advantage of the bloody possibilities afforded by the new climate that has been created for comic book properties with the success of Deadpool and Logan. When Del Toro made the original Hellboy films it wasn't possible to get a comic book movie made with a big budget that was anything worse than a PG-13, but Marshall won't have to work with those restraints. The veteran horror director will no doubt have some very gory practical effects in store for audiences when his take on Hellboy hits theaters. Shooting on the film is expected to begin in the fall.

Next: Hellboy Reboot to Start Filming This Fall, Says David Harbour

Source: Post Mortem