And with one tweet, a franchise is over. Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) squashed years of rumor and speculation surrounding third installment to his Hellboy film series on Tuesday, taking to Twitter to official announce that plans have been officially shelved. This comes after a long back-and-forth on terms of development for a third incarnation of the cult comic book figure in actor Ron Perlman memorably portrayed on screen twice in the 2004 entry as well as the 2008 sequel Hellboy: The Golden Army.
The character, created by writer-artist Mike Mignola and published through Dark Horse Comics, chronicled a red-skinned horned demon – conjured and initially rescued by Nazis – as he became a defender for good in a world full of darkness. del Toro directed and penned both previous entries and has for years been attempting to get a third film off the ground. As of last year, the filmmaker took to social media to hold an informal poll to gauge fan interest in another Hellboy feature, one that was enthusiastically received by fans.
Alas, a third feature is no longer in the cards.
Perlman also took to social media to mourn the loss of his screen creation.
del Toro fans, however, can soon set their eyes on his latest feature, a period fantasy feature entitled The Shape of Water. That film, centering on otherworldly goings-on set in America during the dawn of the Cold War, features the impressive ensemble cast of Sally Hawkins (Blue Jasmine), Richard Jenkins (Burn After Reading) and current Oscar nominees Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) and Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals). The Shape of Water is due in theaters sometime later this year. His last feature was the gothic romance Crimson Peak.
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