Hellboy Reboot Tracking For A Dismal Opening Weekend

CBR

The long-range projections for the opening weekend of Neil Marshall's upcoming Hellboy reboot's are a franchise low.

Early box office numbers aren’t looking good for Neil Marshall's Hellboy reboot, which is due out in April from Lionsgate.

Box Office Pro estimates the film's opening weekend will pull in $16 million, with the movie only going on to earn $34 million domestically in total. For comparison, Captain Marvel pulled in $154 at the box office on opening weekend and last year’s #1 opener on the same weekend, Rampage, pulled in $36 million.

The numbers are also a far cry from Guillermo del Toro's films. 2004's Hellboy managed earn $23 million over its opening weekend and the sequel, 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, improved upon its predecessor with $34 million. Adjusted for inflation, those two films went on to make $86 million and $95 million domestically in total, respectively.

One oo the major contributing factors to that low estimate is that it's being released between Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, which is a tough spot for a smaller, niche superhero film. There’s also a mild controversy surrounding the films. Del Toro and original star Ron Perlman pushed long and hard for a Hellboy 3, but that movie never materialized. Perlman and co-star Selma Blair have also been critical of the new film.

These numbers are definitely subject to change, but a lot will depend on how much it cost to make and advertise the Hellboy reboot, which isn't clear at this time. Forbes reports that the reboot has a comparatively lower budget than its predecessors, so that might make it easier to turn a profit. The original Hellboy, filmed on a $66 million budget and made just shy of $100 million at the worldwide box office, with the foreign market accounting for 40% of box office totals, according to Box Office Mojo. Hellboy II: The Golden Army was a similar story, making $160 million on a $75 million budget, but relying on the foreign market for 53% of that take.

Arriving on April 12, director Neil Marshall’s Hellboy stars David Harbour as Hellboy, Ian McShane as Trevor Bruttenholm, Milla Jovovich as Nimue, Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan, Penelope Mitchell as Ganeida and Daniel Dae Kim as Ben Daimio.