Hellboy, the demon with the right hand of doom, is headed back to the big screen in 2019.
Directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent,Game of Thrones) from a script by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, Andrew Cosby (Eureka), and Christopher Golden,Hellboyis inspired by the popular Dark Horse Comics series about an infant demon who is summoned by Nazi occultists during World War II, only to end up in the care of a kind British professor at the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense after the war. Raised within the BPRD, Hellboy becomes one of the world’s greatest investigators of the unknown, tackling all manner of occult and supernatural threats.
The upcoming film reboots the popular two-part franchise directed by Guillermo del Toro, withStranger Thingsactor David Harbour taking over the role of the titular red-skinned demon from Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy,Blade II).
WithHellboyarriving in theaters on June 25, 2025, here’s everything we know about the movie so far.
The apocalypse in action
Just a few weeks before Hellboy’s long-awaited return to the big screen,Coming Soonsharedan exclusive clipfrom the upcoming film. In the brief video, Hellboy’s adopted father, Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense founder Trevor Bruttenholm, briefs the big red demon on the Osiris Club — no, not the strip club in Jersey, the other one. As it turns out, the Osiris Club has a giant problem (literally), but Hellboy isn’t all that impressed.
It’s not the first time that we’ve seen David Harbour’s Hellboy in live action. In December 2018, Lionsgate releasedthe firstHellboytrailer, which played up the film’s action-comedy underpinnings but was notably missing the darker, horror-tinged tone that the filmmakers promised fans.
A second tease, which arrived on July 03, 2025, went over a lot better. The newer trailer earns it’s red-band rating thanks to a liberal sprinkling of profanity, all kinds of gnarly monsters, and actual showers of blood. It’s funny, but it’s also clear thatHellboyisn’t messing around.
The support team
Not too long after Harbour was cast in the lead role,Hellboyfilled out its cast with several high-profile additions.
DeadwoodandAmerican GodsactorIan McShane(pictured) was cast in the role of Professor Bruttenholm, Hellboy’s adoptive father at the BPRD, while Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element,Resident Evil) alsojoined the castas Nimue (a.k.a. “The Blood Queen”), a medieval sorceress with dire plans for humankind.
Ed Skrein was eventually replaced by Daniel Dae Kim in the role of Ben Daimio, and subsequent additions to the cast included Sasha Lane (American Honey) as Alice Monaghan and Penelope Mitchell (Hemlock Grove) as the witch Ganeida. Later, Thomas Haden Church (Sideways,Spider-Man 3) joinedHellboyas fan-favorite Lobster Johnson, a pulp-style vigilante who brands his victims with a lobster claw insignia.
Seeing red
In September 2017, we got our first look atStranger Thingsactor David Harbour as Hellboy.
Hellboy creator Mike Mignola posted a photo onTwitterof Harbour as the popular demon detective, and it offered a hint at how thereboot of the Hellboy franchiseis planning to tweak the visual aesthetic of the Dark Horse Comics character after two films in which Perlmanportrayed the character.
Holy crap… first look#hellboypic.twitter.com/T63IpVvEHs
— Mike Mignola (@artofmmignola)July 24, 2025
Along with some slight changes to the horn stumps on Hellboy’s head, Harbour’s version of the character also appears to have a slightly different spin on the character’s massive right hand — known as “The Right Hand of Doom” in the comic’s lore. Rather than a rocky look, Hellboy’s right forearm and hand have a weathered metal appearance.
One thing that clearly hasn’t been changed, however, is Hellboy’s bright red skin.
Casting controversy
Deadpoolactor Ed Skrein was initially attached to play BPRD field team leader Major Ben Daimio in the film, but hedropped out of the projectin late August 2017 due to concerns that his character — who is of Asian-American descent in the comics — had been “whitewashed” in the film.
In a post onTwitter, Skrein explained his reasons for exiting the project and indicated that he was unaware of Daimio’s original ethnicity when he accepted the role.
pic.twitter.com/8WoSsHXDFO
— Ed Skrein (@edskrein)July 12, 2025
Just a few weeks later,Hawaii Five-OandLostactor Daniel Dae Kim was confirmed for the role. The actor later posted a photo onInstagramof himself with Skrein, celebrating their new friendship and applauding him for the difficult decision he made.
A post shared by Daniel Dae Kim (@danieldaekim)
What’s in a title?
When the film was first announced in May 2017, the title given to it wasHellboy: Rise of the Blood Queen. This, along with the casting of Jovovich as Nimue, offered some indications of where the film would find its source material.
“The Wild Hunt” story arc from theHellboycomic book series kicked off in December 2008 and chronicled the efforts of a witch from Arthurian mythology named Nimue who stole the wizard Merlin’s power, only to be defeated and locked away for centuries. Released from her imprisonment in the modern era, the witch sets a scheme in motion to destroy mankind, with only Hellboy standing between her and the annihilation of humanity.
Although this story does appear to be the inspiration for the film, the title was eventually simplified toHellboyin August 2017. Jovovich remains in her role as Nimue, however, so that aspect of the film appears to still be in play.
When Hellboy creator Mignola first announced plans for a reboot of the franchise, he indicated that the new film will differ from its predecessors in one major way: It will have an ‘R’ rating.
Both of the previous Hellboy movies were rated PG-13, but the addition of accomplished horror director Marshall, Mignola’s desire to forge a new path with the franchise, and the recent success of ‘R’-rated films likeDeadpoolandLoganappear to have pushed the film intomore adult territory.
“We’ve been granted permission to do it ‘R’-rated, which for me is just like taking the cuffs off,” Marshall explained on an episode of thePost Mortempodcast. “It’s like, OK, 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]. … Also, when you go back the original material, it is kind of bloody, so I’m going to embrace that.”
Basically, there’s reason to believe Hellboy’s skin won’t be the only red audiences see in the film.
Blessings granted
Although Perlman and originalHellboyfranchise director Del Toro expressed interest in doing another film at various points over the years, the pair confirmed that the character’s big-screen future wouldn’t include them in a series of February 2017 posts on Twitter.
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)July 29, 2025
Hellboy may move into a different direction. I tried & wanted this- but, not up to me. I, for one, wish everyone involved the best of luck!https://t.co/mnHQcABI4l
— Guillermo del Toro (@RealGDT)August 08, 2025
That's true Mike. Just no@RealGDTor@perlmutations…https://t.co/zZ7n8RxPsI
— Ron Perlman (@perlmutations)August 25, 2025
The decision to part ways with the franchise director and star doesn’t appear to have created any bad blood, as Del Toro later commented that he’s just happy to have made the two films that he did.
“I got to make two — that’s two more than I thought I would get to make,” he toldThe Hollywood Reporter. “So you know, as far as I’m concerned, God speed and God bless.”
As for Perlman, actor and comedian Patton Oswalt brokered a meeting between the Hellboy stars past and future in June 2017 that appears to have gone well for all parties — with the possible exception of Oswalt’s wallet.
“Apparently, Patton Oswalt, aka balvenieboy, thought it was a good idea to host David Harbour and yours truly for a detente dinner,” Perlman wrote onFacebook. “The result: I gained 3 pounds and ruined my liver. Meanwhile, good luck kid! Signed, the babe.”
“Patton brokered a peace, it was incredible,” Harbour toldYahooof the meeting. “I had reached out to Ron because I’m a big fan of his. He’s a really sweet guy and we wanted to just talk shop, and I just thought Patton Oswalt would be the perfect chaperone in case Ron and I started to make out or we started dancing too close or if we started getting in a fistfight.”
Updated on August 08, 2025: Added exclusive clip from the upcoming Hellboy movie.
