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Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Interview with Guillermo del Toro
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Pedigree: Oscar-nominated writer-director Guillermo del Toro, joined by old pals Ron Perlman, Selma Blair and Doug Jones. Estimated budget: $80 million. Predicted box office: $80 million (US gross), $200 million (worldwide).
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In a dark corner of a former church in Budapest that's today been transformed into a derelict factory-cum-elvish hideout, Guillermo del Toro is feverishly plotting. Plotting how to shoot a big fight scene involving Luke Goss' rotten elvish prince, Nuada, his troll henchman, Wink, several narked swordsmen, and hundreds of falling petals. He's also plotting how to baffle and amaze Empire with a card trick. And, perhaps most importantly of all, he's plotting how to make Hellboy II: The Golden Army the dark horse of next year's comic-book movies, bigger and better than its 2004 predecessor.
"It is very different from the first one," he says. "I want Hellboy II to be a sort of Harryhausen movie, where you go to a world and you see creatures in their environment, and you're fascinated by them."
From what Empire has seen on the Golden Army set, del Toro — who developed into a world-class director with Pan's Labyrinth — is succeeding. Hellboy II has a huge scope, with more creatures than the Mos Eisley Cantina just before closing time, and enormous set-pieces, including the climactic showdown with the titular army, a million giant, golden robots unleashed by Nuada.
But del Toro hasn't neglected the emotional side of Hellboy's life, putting his hero's relationship with Liz Sherman (Selma Blair) through the wringer, while giving fan fave merman Abe Sapien (Doug Jones) a love interest in the form of Nuada's sister, Princess Nuala. The lovelorn heroes even combine for a comedy duet that should bring the house down. "Ron and I had the best frickin' time with that," laughs Jones. "Hellboy and Abe sing the blues — and the reds!"
More
To read our exclusive set visit to Hellboy II: The Golden Army, pick up the new issue of Empire, on sale now.
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