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

2. Really Push For An 'R' Rating

It might be hard to notice, but R-ratings are kind of the 'in' thing right now. Ever since Deadpool unleashed the floodgates for R-rated comic book success back in 2016, everyone's been at it, with Logan releasing this year to momentous critical acclaim and with Sony attempting to take the R-route with Venom, slated for a release next year.

It may just be a trend, but when a character really benefits from an R-rating then producers should do everything they can to ensure that vision is met. Hellboy, despite not being one of the most violent antiheroes out there, is one such character. Any adaptation of the license should, ideally, immerse itself in horror and suspense - many of the book's more horrific elements stem from that atmosphere.

Marshall seems pretty confident that his vision will necessitate an R-rating, however, as does Harbour, which can only be good news for Hellboy fans eager to see something different on the big screen.

Speaking to Mick Garris (and relayed by Entertainment Weekly), Marshall said:

“It’s like, okay, so now we can just make the movie we want to make. It’s not like I’m going to force it to be R-rated, but if it happens to come out that way, just because of my own sensibilities, then fine. And nobody’s going to stop us. So, that’s the main [difference]. And I’m sure, obviously, the success of things like Deadpool and Logan have not hurt that cause. But, also, when you go back the original material, it is kind of bloody, so I’m going to embrace that.”

The creative process behind Rise of the Blood Queen certainly sounds authentic, what with Mike Mignola co-writing the script and all. Combine that with Marshall's commitment to using practical effects, and this new film certainly sounds like it's moving in the right direction.