Interestingly, the character who would come to define Mike Mignola’s career began as nothing more than a comic convention doodle. Despite his humble beginnings, something about Hellboy stuck with Mignola.
A Dark Horse title starring the half-demon was launched in 1994. Since then, the writer/artist has populated Hellboy’s universe with creations such as Abe Sapien, Lobster Johnson and B.P.R.D.
Although he was never a household name like Spider-Man or Batman, Hellboy attained new levels of fame after becoming a feature film helmed by Guillermo del Toro in 2004. The project was a true labor of love for the auteur, who spent years trying to get it made. While his film drew heavily from the comics, it was also a distinctly del Toro affair, featuring his signature creepy characters, elaborate settings, and undeniable sense of whimsy.
Hellboy was moderately successful at the box office and was also incredibly well-received by most fans. A sequel was green-lit soon after its release and Hellboy II: The Golden Army hit theaters in 2008. The film greatly improved upon its predecessor and remains an underrated gem of the genre.
A reboot, completely unrelated to del Toro’s installments and starring Stranger Things actor David Harbor in the titular role, is set for release in January. Fans were stunned by this news, many of whom had hoped to see another outing with Ron Perlman once again brandishing the Right Hand of Doom. Although Perlman's tenure is over, there were a great many elements that came together to make that movie great.
Here are 20 Crazy Details Behind The Making Of Hellboy.
Ron Perlman was everyone's first choice
Most fans would agree that Ron Perlman was the perfect choice to bring Mignola’s creation to the big screen. You might think that the actor was forced to endure an arduous audition process, as is often the case with comic book movies. However, when Mignola and del Toro sat down to discuss who would be wearing Hellboy’s filed horns, they had only one performer in mind.
According to the DVD commentary, after agreeing to state the actor that they envisioned as Hellboy, Mignola and del Toro both named Ron Perlman.
While the studio sought to put someone more high profile in the part, del Toro fought to get Perlman the job.
He has since become so synonymous with Hellboy at this point that many fans are struggling with the idea of seeing someone new take up the mantle so soon.
Abe Sapien's original voice voice was dubbed by David Hyde Pierce
If Guillermo del Toro was forced to pick his favorite monster, it would likely be one brought to life by frequent collaborator Doug Jones.
The actor is responsible for both the Faun and the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, as well as the Amphibian Man in the director’s Oscar-winning film, The Shape of Water. Jones has appeared in the majority of del Toro’s projects, so it’s no surprise that he was chosen to portray Abe Sapien in both Hellboy movies.
Strangely, the decision was made to dub Jones’s vocals with those of Frasier actor, David Hyde Pierce. However, Pierce felt that his contributions were so unimportant compared to Jones’s performance that he refused a final credit in the film.
Thankfully, Jones was permitted to use his own voice in the sequel.
Ron Perlman broke a rib while filming the subway scene
Ron Perlman is not afraid of doing his own stunts, even if it means that he might get a bit banged up in the process. During the subway scene, the actor jumped onto a train that was moving at about forty-five mph, resulting in a broken rib.
It was one of many takes and Perlman simply mistimed the jump.
The craziest thing about this injury is that the fifty-four year old then attempted to continue filming the scene. However, a crew member saw tears in his eyes and del Toro refused to let him proceed.
Perlman’s response when asked about the busted bone was "Yes, but it was just one rib. I have lots more.” It would seem that Perlman didn’t really need to act all that much in order to convey Hellboy’s tough exterior.
Doug Jones was in the makeup chair for 5-7 hours a day
One of the most impressive aspects of any del Toro film is the incredible creatures that inhabit the world that he created. In this case, the movie managed to make Mike Mignola’s art jump right off the page.
Anyone who’s seen Hellboy will likely mention Doug Jones’s portrayal of Abe Sapien as a high point - even if we didn’t get to hear his real voice in the first film. The character was truly a masterpiece.
Of course, transforming Jones into this amazing creature took some serious time and effort. The actor was in the makeup chair for 5-7 hours a day!
The extensive Seeds of Creation documentary dove into the process. Muscles were sculpted, many separate pieces had to be attached, and he needed to spray-painted. Jones didn’t seem to mind the process, remaining in good spirits.
Vin Diesel was considered for multiple roles in the film
Speaking of remaining true to the comics, the studio had someone else in mind for the role of Hellboy: Vin Diesel.
Thankfully, del Toro’s star was on the rise - having just finished up Blade II - and he used this to his advantage. Since both Mignola and del Toro had their hearts set on Perlman, the director refused to consider any other names being discussed, such as Dwayne Johnson, Nicolas Cage, and Vin Diesel.
Even after Hellboy was cast, the studio kept Diesel in mind to portray Abe Sapien.
Most fans would agree that both Ron Perlman and Doug Jones were perfectly cast in their roles. It remains to be seen what David Harbor will bring to the part of Hellboy and it’s unknown if Abe will make an appearance in the reboot.
Del Toro chose to direct Hellboy over Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Christopher Columbus elected not to direct the third Harry Potter film after helming the first two. There were several potential candidates, and although del Toro counts himself as a huge fan of the books, he chose not to make Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
It was partially that he felt his style wouldn’t mesh with what came before, but the larger issue was that he finally had the opportunity to get Hellboy made and didn’t want to miss his shot.
It worked out for the best, considering how great the Hellboy movies turned out. Aside from that, Alfonso Cuarón’s installment is considered by most to be the best of the Harry Potter franchise.
Interestingly, the director recently revealed that it was del Toro who talked him into doing it before Cuarón had even read the books.
The love story between Hellboy and Liz wasn't in the comics
When it comes to the romance between Liz Sherman and Hellboy, not even their creator saw it coming. A love story wasn’t even hinted at between the two in the comics. Seeds of Creation revealed that this element of the story came from del Toro alone.
Mignola had told del Toro to feel free to make whatever changes that he saw fit, understanding that the comic and the movie were separate entities. He trusted the director’s judgement.
Del Toro liked the idea of a girl who caught fire kissing a guy who was unaffected by it and ran with that image.
Love interests are often added when comics are adapted into films, presumably to make the stories more cinematic. In this case, most fans were pleased with the results.
It was meant to begin a trilogy
Del Toro set out to make a trilogy. Although Hellboy was moderately successful at the box office, it did very well on home video release, which got the sequel green-lit. The Golden Army did a bit better at the box office, but not well enough that the studio was willing to let del Toro complete his vision.
It’s unknown what form the 3rd installment would’ve taken. The first film was definitely a Mignola/del Toro mash-up, created with the sensibilities of both men. However, the sequel was definitely more of a del Toro movie, with a story that came mostly from the mind of the director.
The reboot from Neil Marshall (The Descent) is shaping up to be quite different, although Mignola has said that it is very faithful to the comics.
The studio tried to make many changes to Hellboy's appearance
Hellboy wasn’t exactly an easy sell in Hollywood. Everything from his title to his appearance was questioned by the studio when del Toro initially attempted to get the movie made.
For one thing, they balked at the word “Hell” in his name.
Aside from that, this hero was perhaps a bit too weird for the executives. One suggested that he only turned into Hellboy when he was angry, à la Bruce Banner.
That wasn’t the only idea that del Toro threw out the window. Another was that they keep the name, but make him look just like a regular guy. It was even brought up that he could have a demonic red dog instead of being a giant red demon himself.
Del Toro stated, “It’s funny when you say it, but it’s not funny when it happens.”
Perlman being left-handed saved the movie
Hellboy’s Right Hand of Doom is one of the most iconic aspects of the character. However, early on in the process, switching his stone hand from right to left was also considered. It would’ve been extremely difficult for an actor to perform such a physically taxing role, essentially without the use of his dominant hand.
The film's very early concept art depicted our hero with a Left Hand of Doom.
Luckily, the point became moot after Perlman was cast, ashe actor happens to be a southpaw. Although this change wouldn’t have been a huge deal, that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds cover likely wouldn’t have wound up on the soundtrack-- which would’ve been a shame.
