Hellboy II: The Golden Army came out on the top of the heap this weekend, bringing in an estimated $35.9 million at the box office.  I went to check the movie out on Friday, and while it was a very good movie, I still like the first Hellboy flick better.  The acting was great, the makeup and special effects superb, but for some reason Hellboy II felt a whole lot like the first Men in Black movie.  I think it had something to do with the background gags and music.

Speaking of Will Smith, Hancock slipped 47% from last week, but was still able to bring in $33 million.

via THR

Want to know who all the magical creatures are in Hellboy II: The Golden Army?  Check out this animated prequel to the movie opening this week.

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY animated prequel!

I was really looking forward to a Peter Jackson Hobbit, but I think if I had to pick a second, Guillermo del Toro would be a good choice. Let’s just hope del Toro doesn’t insist on telling the tale in native Middle-earth with subtitles.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Guillermo del Toro is directing “The Hobbit” and its sequel, New Line Cinema announced Thursday. The 43-year-old filmmaker will move to New Zealand for four years to make the films back-to-back with executive producer Peter Jackson.

Del Toro wrote and directed “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which earned six Oscar nominations in 2006 and won three awards. He is also the director of the upcoming sequel “Hellboy II: The Golden Army,” whose monsters bear the unmistakeable surreal vision of the Mexican-born filmmaker.

“I am indeed blessed to become a part of the filmmaking community that Peter, Fran and their extraordinary team of collaborators have created in New Zealand,” del Toro said in a statement. “Contributing to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ legacy is an absolute dream come true.”

Jackson and Walsh called del Toro “a cinematic magician who has never lost his childlike sense of wonder.”

“We have long admired Guillermo’s work and cannot think of a more inspired filmmaker to take the journey back to Middle-Earth,” they said in a statement.

Jackson co-wrote, co-produced and directed the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which won 17 Oscar and 30 nominations.

Word is The Hobbit will be a two picture deal. Don’t worry we aren’t going to get the Hobbit II: Electric Boogaloo (or at least I hope we don’t), the second film will take place during the 60 years between the Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Rings. I’m not an expert on Tolkien, so I’m not aware of any work written that takes place during this period, however the Silmarillion (the prequel) was supposedly translated by Bilbo while he hung out in Rivendell following the events of The Hobbit.

Yahoo! Movies has the exclusive debut of the brand new Hellboy II Trailer. Even better, you can download the movie in high definition so you can get a good eye full of all the monstery goodness.

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The Hellboy 2: The Golden Army movie site went live recently, with messages from Director Guillermo del Toro, a scrapbook, synopsis and a video of Abe Sapien.

The movie arrives in the summer of 2008.

via Hellboy Movie

Warner Bros. has hired Gary Dauberman to write the script to DC Comics’ Deadman, according to Variety.  The project is currently under the watchful eye of Guillermo del Toro who may direct the flick.

Susan Montford and Don Murphy from Angry Films are producing.

via Variety (link)

Hellboy: Sword of Storms debuts this weekend on the Cartoon Network (check your local listing for times). Stephen Schleicher had a chance to talk with Producer/Director/Writer Tad Stones to discuss Hellboy’s transition to animated features, styles, and future Hellboy animated projects.

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CHUD has an exclusive trailer up on its site for Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. This is a really dark and moody piece and from the very short look we get at the film, I think it is going to be a smash hit. The only drawback that might affect U.S. distribution/box office sales is the fact that the film is in Spanish and will be subtitled for us non Spanish speaking viewers.

Check it out for yourself and then tell me if it doesn’t get you excited.

via CHUD.com (link)

Variety reported today that Hellboy 2 has been picked up by Universal Studios for a summer 2008 release.  Ron Pearlman will reprise his role as the big red one, with del Toro scripting.  Mike Mignola will co-produce.  Production should start in April in Budapest and London.

Via Variety (link)

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola has created the poster artwork for the Guillermo Del Toro film Pan’s Labyrinth. These were given out at the San Diego convention, but visitors of Del Toro’s site might be able to score one in the near future.

Via Del Toro Films (link)

The official Hellboy Animated Series website has launched. The desitination is the offical site for the animated series, which will debut on the Cartoon Network and DVD in February. Currently the site has wallpaper and buddy icon images for download as well as a brief synopsis on each of the two animated movies (Blood and Iron, and Sword of Storms). Looks like the main characters will be Hellboy (naturally), Abe Sapien, and Liz Sherman. The art style and preview trailer they have on the site look really good and the storylines should be well received.

If there is a downside to what they have done so far, it is not in the Mignola style like the forth coming Amazing Screw-on Head for the Sci Fi channel. Head over to the Hellboy Animated site and decide for yourself.
Via Hellboy Animated (link)

Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Guillermo del Toro is teaming up with Don Murphy’s Angry Films to bring the DC Comics superhero “Deadman” to life. The deal is still in negotiations and the search for a writer is underway. Deadman is the ghost of Boston Brand, a circus performer who was murdered during one of his performances. Brand was granted the power to enhabit the bodies of the living in order to find his killer, but along the way he is compelled to help those in need.

“(Deadman) has great supernatural elements and is one of the more off-kilter superheroes. What I like is that it has some of the canon of horror films but it has a quest and the heroics in the more traditional superhero roots. It’s a great combination that is not very common to superheroes.”

- del Toro via Hollywood Reporter

del Toro is at the San Diego Comic-Con this week to talk about Hellboy 2 and to promote his latest film Pan’s Labyrinth which will open December 29.