Well we know the new Hellboy movie will differ from Guillermo del Toro’s two previous films in one very specific regard: it’s gonna get bloody. We’ve known for a while that Lionsgate and Summit’s new adaptation of the popular comic was aiming for an R rating, and now it’s official. The MPAA has rated Hellboy R for “strong bloody violence and gore throughout, and language.” That promises a hardcore Hellboy movie true to the gritty nature of the comics.

The new Hellboy movie was co-written by comics creator Mike Mignola, who opted to move forward with a reboot instead of completing del Toro’s trilogy starring Ron Perlman. Here, Stranger Things actor David Harbour steps into the lead role, with Ian McShane playing Hellboy’s adoptive father Trevor Bruttenholm. There’s also Milla Jovovich as the antagonist Nimue, a medieval British sorceress who seeks to destroy mankind. Neil Marshall, of The Descent fame, directs.

The film’s debut trailer showcased a tone that, well, didn’t feel entirely dissimilar from del Toro’s Hellboy movies, albeit a bit more “gritty” in nature. In truth, the film it seems to closest resemble is Deadpool, which may point towards a bigger box office success. Or, given that this new Hellboy still kinda looks like the old Hellboy, general audiences may mistake it for a continuation of a franchise they weren't too interested in in the first place.

It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out. Whichever way it goes, hardcore fans can rest assured they’ll get to see a bloody, R-rated Hellboy gracing the screen when the film hits theaters on April 12th. Daniel Dae Kim, Sasha Lane, Brian Gleeson, Sophie Okonedo, Penelope Mitchell, and Allstair Petrie also star.

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Image via Lionsgate
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Image via Lionsgate
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Image via Lionsgate