David Harbour Wants People To Stop Asking Ron Perlman About The Hellboy Reboot

Once the torch has been passed, there's no need for further questions. 

When it was first announced that the red-skinned, cigar-smoking, hell-raising comic book character Hellboy was returning for another round on the big screen, fans rejoiced. But when they learned Stranger Things star David Harbour was replacing original Hellboy actor Ron Perlman, excitement turned to skepticism, and Perlman was subsequently hit with a wave of inquiries about the new film. As Harbour recently admitted to The Hollywood Reporter, he hopes this will stop and that everyone will leave simply Perlman alone.

The actor spoke with the outlet at the Dubai Film Festival, during which the interviewer brought up topic of Harbour's dinner with Perlman that took place back in June. Harbour used this talking point to establish the foundation for a request to Hellboy fans and entertainment reporters everywhere. 

"It was funny because when it came about I reached out to him and I was like, 'This is weird.' And he totally understood and knew what was up. And we went out to dinner with my buddy Patton Oswalt, we had a conversation. He's an amazing guy and super sweet was wishing me well. And then he says something like, 'Just have fun.' Which is something I need to remember when I work because I'm so intense," Harbour explained. 

He added, "The other thing I will say... in honor of his request: stop asking Ron Perlman about the Hellboy reboot, please stop asking him about that. I get it. He's answered the questions. Leave the man alone!"

Perlman, who starred in 2004's Hellboy and 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, has spoken openly about the new iteration of Hellboy. At Motor City Comic Con earlier this year, the actor called Harbour a "good dude" and said that he wishes him "nothing but the best when it comes to the retooling of Hellboy." He even called his meal with Harbour a "detente dinner," a self-aware phrase meant to show that any hostility or tension that existed between the two was eased and cleared away. 

But as time has gone on, Perlman has grown tired of addressing a film he has no part in. During a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session in October, a fan asked Perlman to comment on the Hellboy reboot, but he balked. "Now that photos have been released, how do you feel about the 'new' Hellboy?" the user questioned. "I've made my peace with it," Perlman said in response. "I refuse to answer any questions about it."

Suffice it to say, long-time Hellboy lovers and new fans just diving into the character and his backstory should be mindful of how both Harbour and Perlman feel about the actor-swapping situation. 

The Hellboy reboot, which Harbour calls a "real monster movie that's dark and scary," stars Milla Jovovich as the sorceress known as the Blood Queen, Ian McShane as Hellboy's adoptive father Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm, Daniel Dae Kim as Major Ben Daimio, Sasha Lane as Alice Monaghan, Penelope Mitchell as Ganeida, Sophie Okonedo as Lady Hatton, Alistair Petrie as Adam Glaren, and Brian Gleeson as Merlin. 

Catch the new Hellboy in theaters on January 11, 2019.