Hellboy 3 is not happening, says Ron Perlman

The once-mooted third entry into the franchise now looks extremely unlikely

The Hellboy films have endured as cults, fun adventures placing Ron Perlman front and centre as the horn-shorn former-demon-turned-superhero.

It was 2004 when the comic book character made his on-screen debut with a sequel titled The Golden Army following in 2008. A third has been mooted for quite some time now, but Perlman has now suggested the project has officially been shelved.

Speaking to Screen Rant, the actor - who'll next be seen in Harry Potter prequel spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, said: "We don't talk about that anymore. Because [del Toro's] busy, and I'm busy. Maybe one day he's going to call and say, 'Hey, let's do it.' But for right now? We're happy discovering new worlds to conquer."

It seems their efforts to get the sequel off the ground has seen del Toro look elsewhere for projects; since 2008, he has directed Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak as well as the upcoming chiller The Shape of Water. He's also executive producer of TV series The Strain and has a new kids series, Trollhunters, beginning on Netflix later this year.

Earlier this year, while promoting Amazon Prime series Hand of God, Perlman told Variety "never say never" to a Hellboy continuation.