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HELLBOY Remake NYCC 2018 Panel Coverage featuring David Harbour, Sasha Lane, & Daniel Dae Kim

Hellboy 2019 Movie Poster

NYCC 2018 Hellboy Panel

Hell came to the main stage at 2018 New York Comic Con, and fans couldn’t have been happier. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola took the stage with stars David HarbourSasha Lane, and Daniel Dae Kim to give us our first look at the upcoming reboot.

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Those in attendance were lucky enough to be treated to what appeared to be the first trailer for Hellboy, though they made it clear that this footage was not going to be put online later today so perhaps it will not be the final product. Regardless, David Harbour’s introduction of the footage could barely be heard over the roar of the crowd.

While we didn’t get to see any full scenes, we got snippets of character moments that gave us a sense of what this version of Hellboy is going for. Hellboy himself, portrayed by Harbour, does not appear to be a carbon copy of the iconic Ron Perlman edition. I would go so far as to say that Harbour’s version appears to be a bit livelier, more given to emotional outbursts. But do not take that to mean we are going to get a Hellboy bouncing around on screen like Deadpool; when things got serious, they got serious. It was hinted at during the panel, but after watching a couple heads get bloody holes blown into them by Hellboy’s gun, I think we can look forward to an R rating.

Perhaps the shift in tone can be best described by Harbour himself.

“My Hellboy feels a little younger—like he’s got hair, which is a big thing. He’s got a lot more inner turmoil. He’s a little more lost in the universe. He’s got more of what I bring, and in that way it has a completely different feel. I can enjoy both, and I hope that you can as well. Because, to me, this character deserves a life and it deserves more movies. I love this character and I want to see this character grow and change. And I want to get to the core of Mike’s stuff, which is horror in a certain way, even existential horror… To me, it has more of a Magnolia feel than a Guillermo del Toro feel. And both are great, but this is what me and Neil wanted to do.”

Personally, I think the footage looked great but I’m not sure I’m buying into its presentation. The trailer was cut to the well-known song “Mony Mony” by Billy Idol, which doesn’t exactly convey a dark or intense atmosphere. When they eventually do release the trailer, I am hopeful they choose a more fitting musical accompaniment.

One thing is for sure: Harbour really looks the part. He spent a lot of effort bulking up for the role, but Harbour was quick to point out that the makeup and effects team should get much of the credit for bringing Hellboy to life (and accidentally ribbed Marvel in the process):

“There’s a lot of practical stuff,” Harbour remarks to a roar of applause. “This is a monster movie right out of like Frankenstein, updated to 2018. Like I love, there were people online who were like, ‘the new Hellboy is going to be completely CGI’, you know, like Thanos or whatever.”

After the crowd quieted down from their collective “Ooooooooh!”, Harbour clarified he loved Infinity War and does not want the headline of the day to be that he hates Marvel.

Harbour went further into how he prepared for the physicality of the role, which demanded he wear two hours worth of makeup every day. To get used to the bulk of the prosthetics and costume, he went to a sports shop and bought a boxing helmet (to which he glued on makeshift horns), hockey pads, and a scuba suit, to allow him to become comfortable with all that extra baggage.

“For those three weeks, I rehearsed in this homemade Hellboy suit, because I wanted to feel that stuff. And it really helped! Because, once I got into the costume, it felt like a second skin.”

Leave your thoughts on it and the Hellboy panel at 2018 New York City Comic Con below in the comments section. For more NYCC panel coverage, reviews, images, and videos, visit our New York Comic Con Page. Hellboy will premiere in theaters on April 12 2019. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by EmailTwitterTumblrGoogle+, and Facebook.

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Nick DeNitto

Nick DeNitto graduated with Honors from Adelphi University. He began writing movie reviews in middle school and has worked tirelessly to mold his own unique critical voice. He is currently affiliated with the National Board of Review and hopes that one day he is remembered as “The People’s Film Critic.”
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