Hellboy 2 gets a new title

Good, that's more progress than other projects down the line.

 

Sweet, finally some news.

 

Oh I like the title sounds epic.

 

Hold your horses, guys. The only person I would go with on this one is Guillermo del Toro, or perhaps the studios. I'm not saying Ron is wrong (I fervently hope he's right - the wait is killing me!), but he's got it wrong before on HB2 getting under way. Doug Jones hasn't even been signed yet (and he hasn't seen a script, either), so bide your time. Patience will reward, as they say.

Oh, and the working title has been public for a couple of months now, so it's really quite old news.

Gosh. I am a miserable ol' bugger, ain't I? Sorry.

HM

 

Well, hopefully, we start getting a bit more news now, this project needs to get off the groud quickly before people lose interest.

 

But they already announced what the plot would be like. It's just a matter of getting script approval and a budget.

 

I havent heard anything about the plot RM, just little Tidbits but non of it actually plot.

 

Really? You didn't read the news where the B.P.R.D. will fight against an army of faeries?

 

No, i havent heard anything like that. All i have heard about is more of Abe, and new member, and the title.

 

... earlier today on Del Toro Films after we asked him about all this:

Hola!

Ron took a few liberties with the facts concerning the project. Mike and I wrote the screen story together and I wrote the script. But it is NOT based on anything yet published but Mike felt it had a lot of elements he has been keen to explore in the future of HB.

HBII: THE GOLDEN ARMY is currently being "put together" financially by Larry Gordon et al-

HBII is still my number one priority and no one is contemplating my "stepping down" just yet. It is highly unlikely -albeit possible- that it would happen but that would require a series of unfortunate finacial, logistic, personal events that seem remote at best. More likely than not, if the project were to stall I would still be attached as writer/director.

The timing for HBII seems right, what with the anime, game, comic book series, toys, etc. I believe that HB and the BPRD are -more than ever- in the public´s mind. One bit of good news or all Abe fans. Abe has a really dramatic role in this new story...

Best

GDT

This was after Ron's comments on HB2.

HM

 

So, there is still the slight possibility that this may not get off the ground. I really hope they get to make this sequel.

 

I think 'slight' is the operative word. I'll be very, VERY surprised if it gets shelved. Looks like the budgeting package is well under way, and GdT is as enthusiastic as ever. I have excellent hopes.

HM

 

Well, its just that i know how hollywood works, when there is a slight chance of something bad happening, it usually does come to pass, as the lower budger movies get treated with a lot less respect. I know Hellboy was a success, but it wasnt a resounding one, that is why i am still a bit apprehensive.

 

I have no doubt the film will happen. The real question is whether or not this will be picked up soon enough to be his next film.

 

I have a sneaky suspicion that it is budgeting that is holding things up a tad. They did the same thing with Hellboy, and the studios finally hacked $30 million off the budget because GdT refused to have anyone else other than Ron play HB. There was a hiatus there, too, but the film got made eventually. Studios do like to see if they can get something for nothing, but GdT isn't prone to giving in to daft demands. I suppose we'll just have to see. I expect there could be more info coming out as Pan's Labyrinth winds up in May and gets ready for release ... well, I hope there is.

HM

 

But you know, the studio has a point, a movie like that, starring Ron Perlman, probably shouldn't cost $90 million. The movie itself didn't even make $60 million in the US alone.

 

It just fell shy of it, but the film has done very well both internationally and in DVD sales, which isn't bad considering the appalling marketing for the film outwith the U.S. It wasn't a huge hit, but it did very well and certainly surprised the studios that it was as popular as it turned out to be. And the buzz is certainly good for the sequel.

HM

 

Has anyone said the sequel would be 90 million? It should most likely cost around the same amount as the last film. Maybe, hopefully a little more.

 

GdT mentioned around $70 million.

HM

 

It did ok internationally. Didn't exactly double the domestic gross.

I'd say the marketing for the movie was pretty strong as well. Appalling is rather stretching it.

 

It was okay if you lived in the States. Here in the UK the film opened 5 MONTHS after it opened Stateside. The marketing was okay once it got under way, but the whole thing smacked of cold feet on the part of the distributors, and talking to a few folks 'in the know' at the premiere screening in London (August 2004) they thought so too. I owned the 2-disc region 1 DVD before the film was even released here. Most of Europe and our antipodean colleagues were in the same boat, with some of them getting the film even later than that. Lunacy, and GdT agreed with me. The 3-disc Director's cut was only released here a few weeks ago.

So ... from where I was sitting it was exactly that. APPALLING.

HM

 

Here it certainly was not appalling though. And once again, for a movie like this, a studio will only spread its resources so much.

 

That's why Hollywood works with formulas.