Guillermo del Toro is a very busy filmmaker. 2017 sees the release of his next directing effort, Cold War-era fantasy The Shape of Water, and he's hard at work producing Pacific Rim: Uprising, as well as overseeing Netflix Original Trollhunters. His schedule is so perpetually hectic, in fact, that he has a list of projects he's shelved longer than most other director's filmography (most notably The Hobbit, the failed Silent Hills game and DC's Dark Universe).
Through all that, one of his most talked about films in development is Hellboy III. A third movie about the dark force-fighting demon has been wanted by fans ever since smorgasbord of practical effects and creature designs The Golden Army in 2008 and recent developments made it seem possible that it would actually, finally happen; del Toro posted a poll on his Twitter page and said if he got 100,000 votes he'd would talk to the key creatives - star Ron Perlman and comic creator Mike Mignola - about getting the threequel off the ground. Sadly, it doesn't look like that will lead anywhere.
Del Toro has reported on his Twitter that, while those talks did take place, the sequel is "100%" not going to happen. Star Ron Perlman has thrown his thoughts in, joking about now "seeking employment".
Hellboy 3 Sorry to report: Spoke w all parties. Must report that 100% the sequel will not happen. And that is to be the final thing about it— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT) February 21, 2017
Superhero seeks employment. Likes, pizza, cats, and the Marx bros. https://t.co/TnWaFlE3tx— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations) February 21, 2017
The prospect of a sequel has been teased for years. Del Toro previously said that Hellboy 3 may happen if Pacific Rim 2 was a success and Perlman's been very open about his enthusiasm. However, the actor then came out late last year and said that it was now unlikely, in some ways setting up this latest development. That said, it's not clear what the barrier in the production was. That Perlman has lamented the decision, however, suggests it was something simply out of the trio's control.
It's worth noting that the first two Hellboy films weren't box office smashes; the first made $99 million off a $66 million budget and the sequel $160 million off $85 million. Neither's an extreme failure, but it's a questionable investment prospect, especially in contrast to other beloved comic book adaptations, so there could be higher studio concerns that influenced the decision.
This news is likely to be crushing to a lot of die-hard Hellboy fans, especially after the poll got over 130,000 votes ("Hell, yes" won with a 68% share). While this is definitely a sad development, many will no doubt hold out hope that whatever's holding the project back will pass and del Toro will be able go back on his word. For now, they'll have to make do with his bevy of other projects and the ongoing Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. Dark Horse comic series.
Source: Guillermo del Toro