Following the demise of Revolution Studios, which released the first Hellboy pic in Aril of 2004, the sequel has been homeless until now. Daily Variety reports that director Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy 2 has been picked up by Universal Studios, which plans to release the superhero action pic in the summer of 2008.
Based on the Dark Horse comic-book series by creator Mike Mignola, the original Hellboy movie earned less than $60 million domestically and nearly reached the $100 million mark worldwide. Hardly a hit of Spider-Man or X-Men proportions, the franchise would likely be dead without del Toro’s passion for the source material and commitment to getting a sequel made. He previously brought it to Universal but reportedly parted ways with the studio over creative differences with a certain exec. Now that that particular suit has moved on to another studio, Universal has welcomed Hellboy back into the fold.
Helboy 2 is written by del Toro and will have Ron Perlman return as the title demon-turned-hero. Selma Blair will also reprise the role of Liz Sherman, a fellow member of a paranormal government agency dedicated to stomping out evil forces. The sequel is being produced by Lawrence Gordon, Mike Richardson and Lloyd Levin, with Mignola serving as co-producer. Lensing is slated to begin in Budapest and London in April of 2007.
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