Ron Perlman talks about Hellboy’s children and why a third film is essential

Talk has been up and down over the past couple of years regarding HELLBOY 3 and given Guillermo del Toro's busy schedule, Ron Perlman's age and the studio's reluctance to finance an end to the story…it doesn't really feel like a film that's going to happen. However, here we are still talking about it, and more importantly, so are del Toro and Perlman. Speaking with Empire Online, Perlman confided that he and del Toro recently had dinner to talk about the third instalment. Check out what Perlman had to say on the matter below.

Ron Perlman on HELLBOY 3:

I really feel as though I'm done with the character. I don't have a burning desire to put that shit on again. But Guillermo told me what the resolve of the trilogy would look like, in broad strokes, and it's such an amazingly theatrical, cinematic idea, that I found it essential that we do it. We were designed to be a trilogy, with a beginning, a middle and an end. We've only done two-thirds, so I feel that we're not really done until we finish it.

Regarding the direction of the third film:

Holy shit, he's the beast of the Apocalypse. He has to take down civilization. He has to. It's non-negotiable. That's the foundation for the story, and that's why I think it would be a shame if we don't do it.

On whether or not Hellboy's kids play a factor:

I'll tell you this…the two twins – one would look like the mum and one would look like the dad. And one of them was going to be completely f*cking corrupt, the other one angelic. Which one was which? Only Guillermo would make the f*cked-up-looking one be the angel. So then that adds to the saga.

HELLBOY has always been a passion project for Guillermo del Toro and Ron Perlman, but unfortunately one that's failed to generate the box-office revenue that studios have been looking for. Otherwise, I feel a third film would have come and gone by now. I don't think it's impossible, but I do think Legendary Pictures is going to keep a close eye on how much del Toro's upcoming projects, CRIMSON PEAK and PACIFIC RIM 2, make. Either way, I'm hoping for the best but I'm not holding my breath.

Guillermo del Toro's next film, CRIMSON PEAK, will hit theaters on October 16, 2015.