Shooting wrapped, layers of prosthetics peeled away and his famous sketchbook even more well worn, writer/director del Toro reflects on the draw of the hero with whom he has spent much of the last decade trying to explain: “Hellboy is an unlikely good guy with a blue-collar attitude and a big heart for his family of freaks. I identify with him 100 percent. He has an extraordinary job, but a workman-like mentality. He struggles with inner demons and fights against what others see as his destiny. His is a story of nature vs. nurture, which offers simple but beautiful truths about what it is to be human.”

And that is the type of story del Toro best shares. “I would love for people to find within Hellboy movies their favorite monsters,” he concludes. “We all need monsters to dream, and that’s what we’re doing.”Universal Pictures presents, in association with Relativity Media, a Lawrence Gordon/Lloyd Levin production, in association with Dark Horse Entertainment—a Guillermo del Toro film—Hellboy II: The Golden Army, starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor and John Hurt. The music is by Danny Elfman; the costume designer is Sammy Sheldon. The action-thriller’s creature and makeup effects are designed by Mike Elizalde; the film’s editor is Bernat Vilaplana. Hellboy II: The Golden Army’s production designer is Stephen Scott. The director of photography is Guillermo Navarro, ASC; the co-executive producer is Mike Mignola. The executive producer is Chris Symes.

The film is produced by Lawrence Gordon, Mike Richardson, Lloyd Levin. It is based upon the Dark Horse Comic Book created by Mike Mignola. The story is Guillermo del Toro & Mike Mignola. Hellboy II: The Golden Army’s screenplay is by Guillermo del Toro, and it is directed by Guillermo del Toro.