Neil Marshall’s upcoming Hellboy, starring David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) in the title role, is going to be a way different film than Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy movies. We’ve recently been told that it’s going to be a darker, rated R vision, and none of the actors from del Toro’s movies will be back. This includes Doug Jones, who played Abe Sapien in the previous two Hellboy films as well as “The Asset” in The Shape of Water.
Speaking with Screen Rant, Jones offered up a bit of advice to whoever takes over the role, while also noting that he doesn’t think Sapien is actually in Marshall’s film.
“I’m told that Abe Sapien doesn’t really show up in this first reboot movie, so for a minute here I’m kind of – I’m OK with the fact that I don’t have to watch somebody else do that role just yet,” Jones told the site. “I’d love to see the first and how they set up now with David Harbour, who is a brilliant actor and sweetheart of a guy. We met at Comic-Con last year and we hugged it out – really nice to make that Hellboy connection with him.”
He continued, “If and when Abe Sapien does enter the storyline in subsequent movies, I honestly would not have any advice for anyone besides have patience with the make-up, but otherwise make the character your own. And, also, anytime you take on a comic book character you must know your source material. The fans depend on it, the fans will want to ask you about it. It’s an injustice to the fans of the source material if you don’t know it going in. And it will help inspire you performance on film if you know the comic books that you’re coming from.”
Milla Jovovich stars in the new film as the Blood Queen, with Ian McShane, Daniel Dae Kim and Penelope Mitchell. Also starring are Sophie Okonedo (After Earth), Brian Gleeson (mother!) and Alistair Petrie (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).
The plot follows the hero and his ragtag team of paranormal researchers who are trying to save the world from a medieval sorceress who wants to destroy humankind.
Look for the return of Hellboy on January 11, 2019.
