Should Hellboy perform admirably at the box office, Lionsgate could very well work on building a “MignolaVerse” of sorts, featuring a live-action shared universe of those characters found in the Hellboy mythos. On a visit to the film’s set, both Hellboy director Neil Marshall and producer Lloyd Levin had mentioned to IGN the potential of expanding the universe beyond just a series of Hellboy films.
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According to Marshall, Lionsgate has actually discussed plans, though he reiterates that he’s simply focusing on getting Hellboy out as of now. Though the reboot features on David Harbour’s take on Big Red, Marshall admits there’s a large mythos more than capable of supporting a shared universe.
“I know all that kind of stuff has been discussed,” Marshall admits. “But it’s so far in the back of my mind. Like right now, this is the focus, 100 percent. Get this done, make it the best film it can possibly be, and then see what happens.”
“If that comes off, great. What an adventure and what a world to open a big door on?” the filmmaker continues. “The B.P.R.D. and all the other characters. The huge universe that Mike’s created over the years it to tap into, but I cannot think about that right now.”
As Marshall says, Hellboy features the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense — a group that serves as the FBI of all things spooky. While Hellboy is the tentpole of his own universe, there are dozens of supporting characters to explore on-screen — whether through movies or television — such as Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, Kate Corrigan, Roger, and Johann Krauss. It looks like Levin agrees on the expansive mythos.
“You have over 20 years worth of stories,” Levin says. “And you know, dozens of characters, and just felt like there was so much more of the Hellboy universe to explore or the Mignola-verse to explore.”
Hellboy heads into theaters April 12th.
What other entries would you like to see in a Hellboy Cinematic Universe? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or join the conversation online by hitting me up on Twitter at @AdamBarnhardt!
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