During the walk up to this week's highly anticipated opening of The Dark Knight and presumably the shattering of a few box-office records, Hellboy II: The Golden Army managed to take the No. 1 spot with $35.9 million. That's chump change compared to Iron Man, Indy 4, Hancock and Wall-E, but the victory must taste sweet for Hellboy II director Guillermo del Toro. Sony, the studio which released the original Hellboy in 2004, passed on the sequel, perhaps put off by the modest $23.2 million Hellboy opening in 2004. Bad decision. Hellboy was a hit on DVD, and del Toro's career is soaring thanks to Pan's Labyrinth and his upcoming job directing The Hobbit. Universal, going with talent (always a smart move), went to bat with del Toro on Hellboy II and saw the opening grosses nearly double, pushing it toward the $100 million blockbuster mark. The first Hellboy grossed only $59 million. Look out for a second Hellboy sequel. Up for discussion today, other than the Eddie Murphy issue—Is his his career tanking what with the laugh-free Meet Dave taking in a pitiful $5.3 million or is he just suffering a temporary setback—are these hellish questions:
Now that you've seen Hellboy II, do you rate it as better or worse than the original?
What scene in Hellboy II do you think best represents del Toro's talent as a filmmaker?
Which of the creatures in Hellboy II belong in the pantheon with the menacing marvels del Toro created in Pan's Labyrinth? I vote for the rampaging plant.
How much do you think Hellboy II will gross next weekend up against Batman and Heath Ledger's hellboy of a Joker? And while we're at it, do you think The Dark Knight—with its grim take on a comic-book hero—can open bigger than any movie has this summer (so far it's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at $126 million)?
[Photo: Universal Pictures]
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Matthew Homestar | July 17, 2008 1:10 PM
I thought both films were pretty equal, although obviously the original is slightly better. I do praise del Toro's directing for giving the movie a great sense of style, and now I'm pumped for him directing the new Hobbit sequel.
Unfortunately I don't see Hellboy 2 having a satisfactory second week at the box office; The Dark Knight might smash a few records (I know I have my Friday evening tickets for IMAX). However, much like the original, will have a much better life on DVD.
Jay | July 16, 2008 12:27 PM
It definetly did not live up to the original.
His talent is definetly his vision of creatures and the remarkable sword fighting sequences.
I think the muti'eyed creature with massive wings that saved hellboy is very resonating of Pan's Labyrinth.
Unfortunately Hellboy will bomb in its second week with about I'd say 15 million. It will go better on DVD just like it's predecessor. As for The Dark Knight, there are aparently going to be shows from midnight til 6am in the US which is crazy. I also read that one third of people who are supposed to work are going to call in sick to see it. Add that to the great trailers, the sucess of its prequal and the deat of Heath Ledger and your looking at 120-130 million and might just edge out Indy but it definetly wnt beat the record opening weekend of Spiderman 3 (151 mil)which by the way was a puke fest.
Brian B | July 15, 2008 1:56 PM
$95 to $100 million for TDK. Without the benefit of a holiday weekend, I can't see it overtaking Indy 4, especially with the long run-time and adult-oriented content.
Phil | July 15, 2008 7:53 AM
I am Hellboy
midnight screening | July 14, 2008 6:33 PM
the dark knight will do star wars, shrek numbers.
it's a $100 mill on the first weekend.
Dan S | July 14, 2008 5:47 PM
Hellboy 2 was superior to the first. It packed in more fun and better action while staying just as true to the character. On top of that, it exhibited much more of Del Toro's incomparable imagination. The danger of having a top-notch director on a comic book film is that his vision will eclipse the source material and you'll end up with watered down versions of both (see: the first Hulk). But in this film, Del Toro was able to incorporate his imaginative world seamlessly into Hellboy mythology, giving us an incredible amalgamation arguably more interesting than either would be on its own. Here's hoping we get a third film.
I'd say the giant plant scene on the Universal backl--er, I mean, the steets of Manhattan best represents Del Toro's direction. A giant plant monster attacking the city could have easily gone too far into the outlandish and over the top, but Del Toro somehow made it believable and, hey, added some emotional resonance! I also loved the scene with Hellboy and Abe getting drunk and singing Manilow. Again, a lesser writer/director could not have pulled this off without inspiring the bad kind of laughs.
My favorite creature from the new movie: the angel of death. Sure, he'd be more at home in Pan's Labrynth, but man that guy was creepy!
I bet Hellboy 2 takes in almost nothing next weekend. Too much overlap with TDK's audience. I hope it can weather the storm and continue to motivate another sequel, though. And TDK will absolutely trounce Indy, unless the movie features Batman escaping the Joker by locking himself in a fridge.
sleeps with angels | July 14, 2008 5:38 PM
batman is going kick ass and take
names, that's for sure.
i just saw hellboy last night.
i liked it, it had some very nice
action scenes in it.
the visuals were daring and
inventive. though not in the same
league as pan's labyrinth.
i think it's a bit of a shame
HB2 would've probably done a lot
better if it hadn't opened up a
week before the new batman.
my advice is leave the next one
til' the winter Guillermo.
Holer | July 14, 2008 4:10 PM
Hellboy II is the 'populist' Hellboy. Not as dark or as lovingly Lovecraftian as the first movie, which was so loyal to the comic book source that it was a loveletter to the fans for sure. The decision to broaden the appeal is likely a calculated one on Guillermo's part, made probably because he does want to ensure that he gets the opportunity to make a third movie. The unbelievable Angel of Death scene is a nice setup for what will inevitably be a full-stop tragic opera as only Guillermo can do it. I'm really looking forward to it, but for now, Hellboy II will more than suffice.
saad | July 14, 2008 3:43 PM
hitting the 100 million mark in advance sales is a little bit of a stretch, but i think it'll be the biggest opening of the summer, a little bigger than iron man and cruise past both iron man and indy. people forget that iron man and indy had competition in the coming weeks while the dark night is really the last true movie event left the summer, having to slug it out with movies that may or may not even hit 100 mil. i'm think the dark night is gonna gross 400 plus.
Movie Mike | July 14, 2008 12:24 PM
I hope Dark Knight smokes the opening weekend record. I actually cannot wait.
Answering the Eddie Murphy question: I don't think his career is tanking, because just when you think it can't get any worse...he does a family comedy and it hits. But who didn't think this movie would bomb?
Here's a question I'd like posed in a Travers blog: How many bombs does it take before an A-list actor / actress starts going straight-to-video like Stallone in the late 90's / early 2000's and Ben Affleck around 2004 / 2005?
I'm specifically thinking about Eddie Murphy...Nicholas Cage...Kate Hudson...Samuel L. Jackson....and most of all, Nicole Kidman.
Are some stars bomb-proof?
Sam | July 14, 2008 12:20 PM
I'm going to say that Hellboy II is on par with the original. I would rate it much much higher if it didn't have some of it's hammy dialogue and the romances were more fleshed out.
I think that the scene that best represents Del Toro is a scene at an elven court where leaves/petals are floating down to the floor. It showed that Del Toro made whatever scene in the movie (Tense or Violent) still be beautiful and ethereal.
My absolute FAVORITE creature in this movie was the angel of death character. I knew it would be my favorite from I first saw the trailers. Those eyes on the wings were some of the coolest effects in the entire movie =)
Yeah....I think Hellboy II will suffer next week (Along with everything else) and will probably only gross 10 mill. or so. I'm not really sure if The Dark Knight will break any records but the hype is sure there!
RLee | July 14, 2008 11:27 AM
Haven't seen Hellboy II yet, but I fully anticipate The Dark Knight to have the highest grossing opening of the year (and maybe of all time).
Savon | July 14, 2008 11:25 AM
Regarding the potential for The Dark Knight to "open bigger," I say absolutely! Three out of four of the IMAX opening day screenings where I live were already sold out more than a week before the movie opens, and one local theatre has nearly sold out all six of its screens for midnight shows on July 18. For those now trying to purchase tickets less than a week in advance, Dark Knight opening weekend tickets are scarce. Perhaps The Dark Knight will hit the $100 million mark in advance ticket sales before it even opens. I think the midnight screenings will also contribute to helping it surpass opening totals so far this summer. I have my opening day IMAX ticket, and I can't wait!