The Hellboy reboot isn't going to pull any punches, as the movie is officially rated R. Even during the earliest stages of the process, it was made clear that this was going to be very different from the previous two live-action Guillermo del Toro movies. Whether or not that means better remains to be seen, but it is clearly going to be more loyal to the comics, in terms of portraying certain violent elements. And it's possible we'll hear Big Red drop an F-bomb or two.
According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Hellboy has been given an R rating "for strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language." That sounds very much like what we've come to expect, based on the previously released footage, images and from what the creative team has said. Director Neil Marshall, whose previous works include The Descent and key episodes of Game of Thrones (both quite violent as well) has said that it will be a very bloody affair. Stranger Things star David Harbour, who plays the titular character, has echoed those comments in previous interviews. This rating further cements this reboot as a total bloodbath.
Guillermo del Toro was perhaps a bit ahead of his time with his Hellboy movies. His second movie, The Golden Army, was released in 2008 and, though well regarded, it was just as the superhero movie trend started to take off in a very significant way, with both Iron Man and The Dark Knight being released that year. For quite some time, he and Ron Perlman, who played the character previously, were trying to get a third movie made to round out their trilogy. Unfortunately, the studio decided a reboot made to suit modern audiences would be the better way to go.
As much as many would like to see that trilogy wrap up, this makes sense. Most moviegoers who will turn up for this probably didn't see the Guillermo del Toro movies and that alone suggest a reboot is a better option, from a studio perspective. Not to mention that Deadpool kicked the door wide open for R-rated comic book movies. Based on the first trailer for Hellboy, it's very clear that Neal Marshall took more than one page out of their book for this reboot. Because tastes have changed and audiences are now more receptive, a movie like this can exist where it previously might have been viewed as a huge risk.
Elsewhere, The Kitchen, New Line's upcoming adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series starring Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish and Elizabeth Moss, has also been given an R rating for violence, language and sexual content. The studio also bumped up the release date from September 20 to August 9. Andrea Berloff serves as writer and director.
Additionally, Shaft has been given an R rating for language, violence, sexual content, drug material and brief nudity. Would we have a Shaft movie any other way? This entry in the franchise sees Samuel L. Jackson returning to the role from his previous live-action movie, alongside original actor Richard Roundtree. Jessie T. Usher stars as Jackson's estranged son in the Tim Story-directed sequel.
It's expected that a new trailer for Hellboy will be arriving online very shortly. Creator Mike Mignola indicated as much on Twitter recently before deleting his post. The cast includes Ian McShane, Daniel Dae Kim, Sasha Lane, Brian Gleeson, Sophie Okonedo, Penelope Mitchell, Alistair Petrie and Thomas Haden Church as Lobster Johnson. Milla Jovovich is on board to play the main villain, the Blood Queen. Hellboy is set to arrive in theaters on April 12. This news comes to us from the MPAA.