Hellboy: Rise Of The Blood Queen - 8 Things It Must Do Differently From Del Toro's Films

5. It Needs To Be More Gothic

Hellboy Mike Mignola
Dark Horse

Now, we all know that del Toro loves gothic horror, and that love clearly shows in his work on Hellboy. The problem, however, is that both those films had a problem with atmosphere - they felt distinctly more 'comic book-y' than they did horror... y.

And for any Hellboy adaptation, nailing that tone and atmosphere is massively important. Mignola's panels are intrinsic to the character himself, and Dave Stewart's colours exude the gothic style in full; it's like reading Stoker, Shelley and Homer all in one, complete with a loveable red protagonist to tie it all together.

Tonally, this new Hellboy film needs to feel tense and suspenseful. The character's commentary always breaks the tension - something David Harbour will no doubt be able to do easily - but the creatures he encounters need to look gruesome, and the foes he faces need to feel threatening. Otherwise, what's the point?

Advertisement
Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.