Fans of the Blade and Hellboy franchises might be in for a world of disappointment.
In an interview with The Guardian concerning his latest foray into gothic horror, the ghost story-driven Crimson Peak, director Guillermo del Toro stated that he has no intention of directing another superhero flick.
Del Toro first expressed his lack of desire to helm Hollywood blockbusters while relating the differences between big-budget action movies to Crimson Peak, which he labeled as "a great permit ... to work on a smaller scale." The director then declared that he had no plans — nor intentions — to direct "big, giant Hollywood movies for much longer." He continued:
"I can't say which ones, but I've been offered gigantic movies in the superhero genre, but I don't like the superheroes that are ... nice. I like the dark ones, so Blade and Hellboy were right for me. The mechanics of action only interest me when it's a universe very, very close to my heart, which Pacific Rim is, and I love it. I'm not going to pursue action movies or superhero movies at all any more. I hope I can go back to doing the smaller, weirder ones."
Del Toro's admissions aren't necessarily the de facto final word; part of it, as the A.V. Club pointed out, might have to do with simple budgetary limitations (while Hellboy 1 and Hellboy 2 are technically blockbusters, they've had a lot more success as fan favorites and less as box office gold). Additionally, Hellboy actor Ron Perlman inferred as recently as this past September that, while no financial steps had been taken to making a third installment a reality, Perlman and del Toro had privately talked before about a possible plot. While Perlman didn't state exactly when the conversations between the them had taken place, it would be considerably odd for him to speak about a long-past discussion with such immediacy.
Indeed, Del Toro himself went on record about the hypothetical Hellboy 3 at press junket at last August's Television Critic's Association (TCA) event, affirming his vision of the last in the trilogy as "bigger" and subsequently much more expensive.
Then again, del Toro also made sure to drop a disclaimer at the TCA panel, adding, "I always have five projects in development at a time, because only one will happen."
As for whether del Toro will ever embark on another superhero project (or even a like-minded venture like 2017's Pacific Rim sequel) is anyone's guess — but what fans can look forward to is a work of genuine integrity.
"As a filmmaker ... I gotta do the movies that need me, not the movies I need," he concluded.
Check out the trailer for Crimson Peak in the clip below.
Via: A.V. Club
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