‘Hellboy’ Reboot Begins Filming Today

After casting controversy earlier this summer, filming for the upcoming Hellboy reboot has begun.

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Daniel Dae Kim confirmed that not only has he officially joined the cast of the film, but that filming started today.

“I’m excited to confirm that I’ve officially joined the cast of Hellboy,” Kim said. “We start shooting today and I’ll be playing Ben Daimio, alongside our very talented cast, headed by David Harbour, and director, Neil Marshall. Thank you for all the supportive tweets and comments, especially in light of the recent events surrounding its original casting.”

Kim had been announced as a potential replacement for Ed Skrein, who exited the role of Ben Daimio last month amid outcry over the whitewashing of an Asian-American character. Kim praised Skrein and his “strength of character” for stepping down.

“I applaud the producers and Ed Skrein for championing the notion that Asian characters should be played by Asian or Asian-American actors,” Kim said. “He could not have addressed the issue more elegantly and I remain indebted to him for his strength of character.

The movie, which was recently fast-tracked for production by Lionsgate, had beenset to film in both the United Kingdom and Bulgaria, fitting locations as the official synopsis for the reboot has Hellboy going to England to defeat Nimue, Merlin’s consort and the Blood Queen.

News that filming for the Hellboy reboot had begun was soon followed by a first look at David Harbour’s Hellboy, with Harbour’s look having some marked differences from the one made famous by Ron Perlman years ago.

The Hellboy reboot is currently slated to hit theaters in 2018.