Hellboy is a 2004 American superhero film[7][8] based on the Dark Horse Comics character of the same name, created by Mike Mignola.

Directed and written by Guillermo del Toro, the film stars Ron Perlman in the title role, alongside Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, Karel Roden, Rupert Evans, and John Hurt.

Hellboy had its premiere at the Mann Village Theater in Los Angeles on March 30, 2004, and was released in the United States on April 2 by Columbia Pictures.

However, young scientist Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm and an Allied strike force interrupt them and destroy the portal, which pulls in Rasputin while Haupstein and Kroenen escape.

The Allied team soon discovers an infant demon with a stony right hand had come through the portal and dub him "Hellboy", who Broom adopts as his son.

Meanwhile, FBI agent John Myers is transferred to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD) at Broom's request and assigned to assist the adult Hellboy and an amphibious psychic humanoid named Abraham "Abe" Sapien before the BPRD are sent to investigate an incident at a museum, where Hellboy battles a creature called Samael.

After defeating it, Hellboy visits former BPRD member Liz Sherman at a mental hospital, which she committed herself to due to her unstable pyrokinetic abilities.

Concurrently, Abe learns that Samael was resurrected by Rasputin, who imbued it with the power to lay eggs that allow it to reincarnate and split its essence every time it dies.

Rasputin absorbs Liz's soul to force Hellboy to reopen the portal and release the Ogdru Jahad in exchange for returning it.

In addition, Ladislav Beran plays Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, Bridget Hodson appears as Ilsa Haupstein, William Hoyland as Klaus Werner von Krupt and Corey Johnson (credited as John William Johnson) as Agent Clay, while David Hyde Pierce, in an uncredited role, provides the voice of Abe Sapien.

[16] In an early version of the script, the gyroscope portal was described being made out of rails that formed into pentagrams, hexagrams, and inverted stars to illustrate the film's magic and occult elements.

"[20] Del Toro chose to add context to the BPRD logo by rooting the film's version in Catholic mythology by adding archangels in Broom's office.

"[26] The idea of Hellboy spying on Liz and Myers was originally written for a separate script titled Meat Market, A Love Story.

[31] Del Toro assigned his real life friend, Santiago Segura, to play the train driver who assaults Hellboy.

Included were video introductions by Del Toro and Selma Blair, plus a feature that allowed viewers to click during selected parts of the film to comics drawn by Mike Mignola.

Other bonus features include two audio commentaries, one by Del Toro and Mignola; and the other by Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Jeffrey Tambor, and Rupert Evans, which was recorded on April 12, 2004.

[51] An Ultra HD Blu-ray version was released on October 15, 2019, with many of the remaining bonus features from the 3-disc reinstated and both cuts remastered in 4K resolution.

The site's critical consensus reads, "With wit, humor and Guillermo del Toro's fantastic visuals, the entertaining Hellboy transcends the derivative nature of the genre.

[55] In his review for The New York Times, Elvis Mitchell wrote, "Mr. del Toro avidly lavishes this texture on Hellboy ... giving it a kiss of distinction.

Hellboy was nominated for four Saturn Awards in 2005, including Best Fantasy Film, Best Special Edition DVD Release, and Best Make-Up, which it won.

[59] The film was also nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award in the category of "Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture.