{"id":386224,"date":"2026-01-03T22:15:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/386224\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T22:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T22:15:08","slug":"a-beloved-sci-fi-franchise-hasnt-lost-its-star-after-scrapped-sequel-but-time-is-running-out-to-wrap-things-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/386224\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beloved Sci-Fi Franchise Hasn’t Lost Its Star After Scrapped Sequel (But Time Is Running Out to Wrap Things Up)"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not as easy for movies to get sequels as it once was. James Cameron continues to push the idea that a fourth installment in the Avatar franchise isn\u2019t guaranteed because Avatar: Fire and Ash must bring in enough money to make the powers that be feel comfortable moving forward. He has a contingency plan, though, revealing that if he doesn\u2019t get his way, he\u2019ll hold a press conference and reveal the rest of Avatar\u2018s story<\/a>. The idea might sound ridiculous, but at least Cameron won\u2019t be leaving any meat on the bone, unlike another sci-fi franchise that walked away before wrapping things up.<\/p>\n

Back in the early 2000s, filmmaker Guillermo del Toro hitched his wagon to\u00a0Hellboy<\/a>, a comic book series about a being from Hell who becomes a paranormal investigator. He brought Ron Perlman into the fold to play the titular character and got to work. Together, the duo and all the other members of the production delivered two critically acclaimed movies. A third was in the cards, but it never came to fruition. All these years later, Perlman is still holding out hope that the band can get back together.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought we owed it to the fans,\u201d Perlman said during an appearance on the Joe Vulpis Podcast<\/a> after being asked about the third Hellboy film<\/a>. \u201cI still do. I\u2019ll do it now, at 75 years old. If the right person comes along and says, \u2018Okay,\u2019 because, I mean, it was meant to be a trilogy.\u201d <\/p>\n

Perlman also mentioned that relighting the fire wouldn\u2019t be simple. \u201cI don\u2019t know if there was ever a script,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut I certainly know that Guillermo knew what the third movie was going to be like. It would\u2019ve been epic. That\u2019s why it was a shame.\u201d<\/p>\n

As great as Perlman\u2019s passion is, the property isn\u2019t waiting for the stars to align. The train is moving quickly, and it doesn\u2019t seem excited about the prospect of stopping and letting old passengers aboard.<\/p>\n

Hellboy Has a Thing for Promising What It Can\u2019t Deliver<\/p>\n

\"Ron<\/p>\n

After the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army, del Toro turned his sights to The Hobbit trilogy, which he had signed on to direct. Middle-earth didn\u2019t roll out the red carpet for him, though, so he left the project and worked on a few passion projects. Meanwhile, the people in charge of Hellboy decided to go in a different direction, rebooting the franchise with the 2019 film starring David Harbour. Unfortunately, the movie crashed and burned, as did the latest reboot in 2024, Hellboy: The Crooked Man<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While two failed attempts at reimagining the franchise would seem like reason enough to reach out to del Toro, that doesn\u2019t seem like it\u2019s in the cards. Everyone has moved on to bigger and, in some cases, better things. But it\u2019s good to know that, if the course starts to change, he\u2019ll be ready to get back on the delivish horse.<\/p>\n

What do you think? Leave a comment below and\u00a0join the conversation now in the\u00a0ComicBook Forum<\/a>!<\/p>\n