Just when it seems that there'd be no hope for "Hellboy 3" to ever see the light of day, a report from The Daily Beast states that Legendary Pictures is open to funding the film but on one condition: "Pacific Rim 2" has to be a big blockbuster hit.
According to the report, director Guillermo del Toro, the helmer of both films, stated that they would need around $120 million to do "Hellboy 3." He explained that in the third film, the titular character finally becomes the Beast of the Apocalypse and in order to pull that off, they'll need a bigger budget for the special effects.
"But seeing the apocalypse is getting more and more [expensive] — the bar is raised higher and higher every year; mass destruction is becoming the sport of the summer," said del Toro in the interview. He also stated that gaining the needed $120 million is "a little beyond Kickstarter."
Del Toro also revealed in the report that he had already given a draft script for "Hellboy 3" but scheduling conflicts occurred between "Hellboy 3" and "Pacific Rim 2," forcing him to choose one over the other. In the end, he picked "Pacific Rim 2" which is now scheduled for a 2017 release.
If they will push forward with a third "Hellboy" film, then they need to do it quickly. Del Toro joked about Ron Perlman's age — the actor is now 65 — so they'd have to get the movie done before Perlman gets too old to do action films. Perlman, who plays the titular character in the "Hellboy" films, may also reprise his role as Hannibal Chau for "Pacific Rim 2."
Both "Hellboy" films were financial successes but they weren't giant box office hits. The first film earned over $99 million from a $66 million budget while the second had a budget just over $80 million and earned twice that amount. At least there is a positive trajectory with regard to the films' sales, meaning there is a profit to be made for the studios.
The big question of course is whether or not "Pacific Rim 2" does well in theaters. The first film cost over $190 million and managed to earn a global profit of $411 million. The second film will need to do a lot better if "Hellboy 3" is to be made.
