Hellboy on screen is four separate takes. Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) are one story with Ron Perlman; the animated Sword of Storms (2006) and Blood and Iron (2007) share that cast but stand alone. Hellboy (2019) with David Harbour and Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024) with Jack Kesy are separate reboots. Start with del Toro's two films.
- Titles
- 6
- Films
- 6
- Watch time
- 10 hours
- Box office
- $317 million
- Avg IMDb
- 6.1
Hellboy movies in release order
Here is every Hellboy (Mignolaverse) title in the order it came out, 2004 to 2024: 6 films.
| # | Title | Year | Type | Runtime | IMDb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hellboy | 2004 | Film | 2h 2m | 6.9 |
| 2 | Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms | 2006 | Film | 1h 17m | 6.4 |
| 3 | Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron | 2007 | Film | 1h 15m | 6.6 |
| 4 | Hellboy II: The Golden Army | 2008 | Film | 2h | 7 |
| 5 | Hellboy | 2019 | Film | 2h 1m | 5.3 |
| 6 | Hellboy: The Crooked Man | 2024 | Film | 1h 40m | 4.5 |
Release or chronological: which order is best?
For Hellboy, release order and story order are the same thing: every film picks up after the one before it. There is no prequel to slot in early and no flashback to reshuffle, so the list above is the only order you need.
Where to start
Start with Hellboy and go in release order.
The whole thing is 10 hours. At two hours a night that is about 6 evenings.
The three highest rated: Hellboy II: The Golden Army (7), Hellboy (6.9), and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (6.6).
Every Hellboy movie, explained
One entry per title in release order: what it is about, why it matters to the bigger story, who is in it and how it did.
No. 01 · 2004 · Film · 2h 2m
Hellboy
In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before they summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy". Sixty years later, Hellboy serves the cause of good rather than evil as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, along with Abe Sapien - a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman - a woman with pyrokinesis, protecting America against dark forces.
Why it matters: Del Toro's origin: the Nazis summon Hellboy in 1944 and the B.P.R.D. raises him; start here.
- Starring
- Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Box office
- $99 million on a $66 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 6.9 · Rotten Tomatoes 81%
No. 02 · 2006 · Film · 1h 17m
Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms
A folklore professor becomes unwittingly possessed by the ancient Japanese demons of Thunder and Lightning. But when The Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense dispatches a team of agents to investigate, a cursed samurai sword sends Hellboy to a supernatural dimension of ghosts, monsters, and feudal mayhem. Now while pyrokinetic Liz Sherman and fishboy Abe Sapien battle one very pissed-off dragon, a lost and cranky Hellboy must find his way home.
Why it matters: Animated, with Ron Perlman and Selma Blair voicing their roles; a standalone case from Japanese folklore.
- Starring
- Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones
- Director
- Tad Stones and Phil Weinstein
- Scores
- IMDb 6.4
No. 03 · 2007 · Film · 1h 15m
Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron
When Hellboy, Liz Sherman, and Abe Sapien are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire, they uncover a plot to resurrect a beautiful yet monstrous vampire from Professor Bruttenholm’s past. But before they can stop her bloodbath, Hellboy will have to battle harpies, hellhounds, a giant werewolf, and even the ferocious goddess Hecate herself.
Why it matters: The second animated film, built around an old case of Professor Broom's against a vampire countess.
- Starring
- Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones
- Director
- Tad Stones and Victor Cook
- Scores
- IMDb 6.6
No. 04 · 2008 · Film · 2h
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Hellboy, his pyrokinetic girlfriend, Liz, and aquatic empath, Abe Sapien, face their biggest battle when an underworld elven prince plans to reclaim Earth for his magical kindred. Tired of living in the shadow of humans, Prince Nuada tries to awaken an ancient force of killing machines, the all-powerful Golden Army, to clear the way for fantasy creatures to roam free. Only Hellboy can stop the dark prince and prevent humanity's annihilation.
Why it matters: Del Toro's sequel and Ron Perlman's last turn; its story was never finished.
- Starring
- Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, and Doug Jones
- Director
- Guillermo del Toro
- Box office
- $160 million on a $85 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 7 · Rotten Tomatoes 86%
No. 05 · 2019 · Film · 2h 1m
Hellboy
Hellboy comes to England, where he must defeat Nimue, Merlin's consort and the Blood Queen. But their battle will bring about the end of the world, a fate he desperately tries to turn away.
Why it matters: A reboot with David Harbour that adapts The Wild Hunt comics; ignores the del Toro films.
- Starring
- David Harbour, Milla Jovovich, and Ian McShane
- Director
- Neil Marshall
- Box office
- $55 million on a $50 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 5.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 17%
No. 06 · 2024 · Film · 1h 40m
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent get stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. There, they discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy's past: the Crooked Man.
Why it matters: A second reboot: a small folk-horror story from Mignola's 1950s comic that needs nothing before it.
- Starring
- Jack Kesy, Jefferson White, and Adeline Rudolph
- Director
- Brian Taylor
- Box office
- $2 million on a $20 million budget
- Scores
- IMDb 4.5 · Rotten Tomatoes 40%
Hellboy box office and budgets
The 4 Hellboy films with reported numbers have grossed $317 million worldwide on about $221 million in combined budgets, roughly 1.4 times what they cost. The biggest is Hellboy II: The Golden Army at $160 million, 51% of the franchise's total on its own, followed by Hellboy ($99 million) and Hellboy ($55 million).
Measured against what it cost, the best return belongs to Hellboy II: The Golden Army, which made 1.9 times its $85 million budget. The weakest was Hellboy: The Crooked Man at 10% of its $20 million budget. As a rule of thumb, a film needs about two and a half times its budget at the box office to cover marketing and the theaters' cut.
The best and worst rated Hellboy movies
Across 6 rated titles, Hellboy averages 6.1 on IMDb. The top of the list is Hellboy II: The Golden Army at 7, then Hellboy (6.9) and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (6.6). At the bottom: Hellboy: The Crooked Man (4.5) and Hellboy (5.3).
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army7 · RT 86%
- Hellboy6.9 · RT 81%
- Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron6.6
- Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms6.4
- Hellboy5.3 · RT 17%
- Hellboy: The Crooked Man4.5 · RT 40%
Who appears in the most Hellboy movies
Ron Perlman leads with 4 appearances as Hellboy, ahead of Selma Blair (4) and Doug Jones (4). Counted from each title's top-billed cast.
| Actor | Role | Titles | First and latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ron Perlman | Hellboy | 4 | Hellboy (2004) to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) |
| Selma Blair | Elizabeth 'Liz' Sherman / Liz Sherman | 4 | Hellboy (2004) to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) |
| Doug Jones | Abraham 'Abe' Sapien / Abe Sapien | 4 | Hellboy (2004) to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) |
| John Hurt | Prof. Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm / Professor Trevor 'Broom' Bruttenholm | 3 | Hellboy (2004) to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) |
| Jeffrey Tambor | Tom Manning | 2 | Hellboy (2004) to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) |
| Brian Steele | Sammael / Wink | 2 | Hellboy (2004) to Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) |
| Peri Gilpin | Professor Kate Corrigan | 2 | Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006) to Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007) |
Hellboy directors and creators
6 filmmakers have directed or created Hellboy; Guillermo del Toro has the most, with 2.
- Guillermo del ToroHellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008)
- Tad StonesHellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006) and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007)
- Phil WeinsteinHellboy Animated: Sword of Storms (2006)
- Victor CookHellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007)
- Neil MarshallHellboy (2019)
- Brian TaylorHellboy: The Crooked Man (2024)
How long it takes to watch every Hellboy movie
All 6 titles add up to 10 hours. That is about 6 two-hour evenings, or 2 days of ten-hour binges. The longest film is Hellboy at 2h 2m.
The 4 best rated films: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Hellboy, Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron, and Hellboy Animated: Sword of Storms.
Everything takes about 2 weeks.
Track what you've watched on the timeline and it counts the hours left.
Common questions
What order should I watch the Hellboy movies in?
Hellboy on screen is four separate takes. Guillermo del Toro's Hellboy (2004) and Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) are one story with Ron Perlman; the animated Sword of Storms (2006) and Blood and Iron (2007) share that cast but stand alone. Hellboy (2019) with David Harbour and Hellboy: The Crooked Man (2024) with Jack Kesy are separate reboots. Start with del Toro's two films.
How many Hellboy movies and shows are there?
There are 6 titles in the Hellboy franchise: 6 films and 0 series, released from 2004 to 2024.
How long does it take to watch all the Hellboy movies?
About 10 hours for all 6 titles, counting every episode.
What is the first Hellboy title in chronological order?
Hellboy, set in 1944, then the present. In release order the first is Hellboy (2004).
What is the best Hellboy movie?
By IMDb score, Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) at 7, followed by Hellboy at 6.9.
What is the highest-grossing Hellboy movie?
Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008), with $160 million worldwide. Hellboy films have made $317 million in total.
Who has appeared in the most Hellboy movies?
Ron Perlman, in 4 of them as Hellboy.
What is the longest Hellboy movie?
Hellboy, at 2h 2m.
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