Hellboy 2 Production To Start - Release Date Summer 2008

Universal Pictures will fully finance and distribute Hellboy 2, the Guillermo del Toro-directed sequel to the 2004 Dark Horse Comic-spawned film, Variety reported.

The studio is picking up a project orphaned by Revolution Studios, which made the original and distributed it through its deal at Columbia Pictures. With Revolution out of business, the sequel became available, and Universal slotted it for summer 2008.

In a script by del Toro, Ron Perlman returns as Hellboy, the humanoid creature born in the flames of hell who was deposited on Earth's doorstep as an infant and battles otherworldly evil for a covert government agency. Selma Blair returns as Liz Sherman, the horned hero's pyrokinetic love interest.

Lawrence Gordon, Mike Richardson, Lloyd Levin and Roth will produce, with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola as co-producer and Chris Kenney as executive producer. Production starts in April in Budapest and London.