Filmmaker Neil Marshall explains why he believes ‘Hellboy’ might not be suitable for the big screen.
Marshall joined ComicBookMovie to talk about his experiences with ‘Hellboy’ and other projects. He said ‘Hellboy’ might not be meant for the screen but still praised Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Hellboy’ movies:
“Maybe not, yeah. It could be that it’s not meant for the screen in that sense or in a way that translates from the comic books. I love Guillermo’s movies. I’m not that super loyal to the comic books in the sense that I treat them in their own right. I think they’re good movies because Guillermo is an excellent director and, visually, they’re stunning.”
The filmmaker says he did his best, and despite the negative reception, he noticed that some fans still appreciated the film:
“I did my best and what I could with what I had under difficult circumstances, but even now, I was just down in Spain for a film festival and I had loads of people come up to me asking about Hellboy. They screened the film there and, who knows, maybe it will grow a little fanbase.”
Marshall is famous for directing ‘Dog Soldiers,’ ‘The Descent,’ and ‘Doomsday,’ as well as ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Hannibal.’
Marshall Wasn’t Lucky With Adaptations
Marshall first worked on a comic book adaptation with NBC’s ‘Constantine’ TV series, which starred Matt Ryan. The show was toned down for network television and was canceled after 13 episodes. It still gained a loyal fanbase, and Matt Ryan’s portrayal of Constantine led to the character’s return on The CW’s ‘Arrow’ and ‘Legends of Tomorrow.’
Marshall directed a reboot of Hellboy in 2019. The movie had many challenges ahead, including high expectations for Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Hellboy 3.’ Behind-the-scenes issues also affected the project. This led to a disappointing reception both critically and commercially.
Talking about Matt Ryan’s continued role as Constantine, Marshall was happy to see the character get a second chance. He said it’s difficult to adapt an R-rated character for a U-rated show:
“It was the case of trying to do an R-Rated character in a U-Rated show! It was just impossible. They’d taken away his smoking, his drinking, his swearing and cursing…it was like, ‘C’mon, what are we left with?’ Matt was brilliant and I’m so glad the character went on to live another life.”
Marshall still remains open to working on superhero projects in the future if the right material comes along. His latest film, ‘Duchess,’ tells the story of a small-time crook entering the dangerous world of diamond trafficking. The film will be available on Digital and On Demand on August 9.
