The Hellboy reboot is under way, and taking over the starring role of Big Red is David Harbour (Stranger Things). The film is shooting to reboot the franchise and make a film that is closer to the darkness and gore from the comics. Those that are wondering if the film will completely reboot the origin story along with franchise, rest assured. According to Harbour, the film will start in the moment, like Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
On a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, David Harbour talks about Hellboy not being an origin story:
There is some (explanation of Hellboy), but it’s not really an origin story movie. We kind of pick up the movie like we’re running and gunning. We do have a little bit of stuff where we show stuff, but it really is a story and you just drop in with this guy. So in a way, I feel like that’s kind of what Indiana Jones was. You start with him stealing the idol, but also you do go back to the university and you understand he’s an archaeologist, you understand these things, but this is just a guy who goes and steals idols and fights Nazis and wants to steal the Arc of the Covenant. But you never go back when he’s a kid and you’re like, ‘How did he become Indiana Jones?’ It’s like no, we accept that this is Indiana Jones and I think that’s kind of what our story does too. You accept that there’s this half-demon guy running around the world and being a paranormal investigator and solving crimes and also dealing with his own issues at the same time.
Harbour goes on to talk about how his version of Hellboy will differ from Ron Pearlman’s performance of the hero:
There are things I’m going to do that are different than that. Hellboy is the same character from the comics, and from what Ron did. There are certain things that are the same thing. There’s a different approach. Ron sort of embraces this machismo in himself and in Hellboy, that kind of is this thing, and I really like it and I think it’s super fun and it’s a super fun performance, but I think Hellboy has a certain psycho dynamic where occasionally he has to prove that he’s the lion and has to roar, but I think he struggles with his own masculinity. But I don’t think he needs that as much as maybe those other movies did. I have a bit of a different take on his capability or his slickness. I sort of think that for me he’s a little less skilled at constructing that persona.
