Ian McShane, currently starring in the acclaimed series American Gods, has been cast alongside David Harbour in the Hellboy reboot.
McShane, who already has a Golden Globe for his starring role in Deadwood and is now frequenting the John Wick movies alongside his American Gods role as Mr. Wednesday, will play Hellboy’s adoptive father, Professor Broom.
It’s interesting that Lionsgate aren’t pushing for huge names in the film, and are instead making sure they’re casting great character actors. As we’ve seen with recent failures like The Mummy, simply having an A-list star headline your film doesn’t necessarily guarantee an easy ride at the box office, especially when it comes to high-concept projects.
Audiences still care about quality, and the only way a Hellboy reboot survives is if it turns out to be a good film. The film, titled Hellboy: Rise Of The Blood Queen will be directed by Neil Marshall (The Descent) and is eyeing a September start date for shooting.
Considering McShane, Harbour and Marshall’s TV track record – having worked on American Gods, Stranger Things and Game Of Thrones, respectively – Lionsgate seem to be cashing in on the Peak TV phenomenon and hoping it’ll translate to film.
While the Hellboy reboot will have a tricky task following Guillermo Del Toro‘s two films in the mid-2000s, it’s off to a good start.
#Peace.Love.Hellboy
