If you have concerns thatNeil Marshall’sHellboyreboot will be a CG-fest, let the director himself put those fears to rest. Though the project is still in the early stages of pre-production, Marshall recently spoke about his plans for the big-screen adaptation ofMike Mignola’s comic book series–to be scripted by Mignola,Andrew Cosby, andChristopher Golden–that will starDavid Harbourin the title role.
In speaking toMick Garris(Hocus Pocus) for his"Post Mortem" podcast(viaEW), Marshall talked up his penchant for using practical, in-camera effects throughout his filmmaking career and the likelihood that he will continue to do so whenever he can. So you can probably expect Hellboy, his horns, and his red right hand to be done through a combination of make-up and costuming work, with the more outlandish effects left to the computer gurus.
Here are Marshall’s full quotes about the use of practical effects in his upcoming film:
“It’s definitely going to be as practical as we can possibly make it. I love to do stuff in camera whenever I possibly can, and use CG as the amazing tool that it is, to enhance or expand upon the world, but not to use it to replace reality, when you can do it [for] real.”
He also weighed in on the film’s aim for an R rating and how freeing that has been for adapting Mignola’s work:
“We’ve been granted permission to do it R-rated, which for me is just like taking the cuffs off. It’s like, okay, so now we can just make the movie we want to make. It’s not like I’m going toforceit to be R-rated, but if it happens to come out that way, just because of my own sensibilities, then fine. And nobody’s going to stop us. So, that’s the main [difference]. And I’m sure, obviously, the success of things likeDeadpoolandLoganhave not hurt that cause. But, also, when you go back the original material, it is kind of bloody, so I’m going to embrace that.”
For more onHellboy, be sure to take a look at some of our recent write-ups:
