Hellboy is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring Ron Perlman, loosely based on the Dark Horse Comics graphic novel Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. In the film, a demonic beast-turned superhero known as Hellboy, secretly works to keep the world safe from paranormal threats with his team, the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense.
The film was a minor box office success, and was favorably received by critics. A sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, was released on July 11, 2008 with Universal Pictures taking over the distribution.