Guillermo del Toro has long been regarded as a legend due to his work in Hollywood, especially when it comes to horror, fantasy, and comic-book adaptations. A stellar portfolio of projects, including Wesley Snipes’ Blade 2, Pacific Rim, and the two Hellboy movies, proves his commitment to unique themes and symbolisms, with his work having resulted in the Academy Award, BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
Regardless, there was plenty of doubt when he started working on 2004’s Hellboy. This was majorly down to the number of changes from the comic books, that he wished to incorporate in the movie, something Hellboy creator Mike Mignola himself had a problem with. However, owing to his determination to ensure that the movie was made in his own unique vision, del Toro ended up going against Mignola as well.
Guillermo del Toro went against Mike Mignola for 2004’s Hellboy
While del Toro’s Hellboy adhered to the spirit of Mignola’s creation, it introduced significant deviations from the source material. One of the most notable changes was the romantic subplot between Ron Perlman’s Hellboy and Selma Blair’s Liz Sherman. This divergence from the original comic book storyline showcased del Toro’s unique vision of Hellboy, characterized by Perlman’s portrayal of the titular character as a somewhat adolescent hero, marked by a combination of heroism and teenage angst.
Mignola’s dissatisfaction with these deviations became evident when he objected to certain elements of the script. In response, del Toro remarked the following:
Your Hellboy wouldn’t [do that]. Mine would.
And that was that. Despite Mignola making his displeasure known, Guillermo del Toro was committed to his own vision, and ended up with a character that was markedly different from the original comic book creation.
Guillermo del Toro went further away from Mike Mignola’s Hellboy for The Golden Army
The success of Hellboy paved the way for a sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which was released in 2008. In this film, del Toro further distanced the narrative from Mignola’s source material, opting for an original storyline that would eventually influence later works, including the rebooted film.Â
The sequel continued to explore new territory while incorporating elements from Mignola’s universe, though the plot itself diverged significantly from the original comic book series. This did not turn out to be the best of decisions, as Hellboy 2 garnered around $170 million on a $85 million budget, but a majority of the profit was down to home video sales. (Box Office Mojo)
Further, the mixed box office success also meant that del Toro failed to get funding for a third movie, despite his desire to create one. And while Toro has since gone on to create a range of successful projects across film and television, he might at least partially regret the kind of decisions he stuck to, with respect to the Hellboy duology.
Both the Hellboy movies are available to stream on Amazon Prime.Â
