Hellboy 2 has received a greenlight at a new movie studio.

Universal Pictures has announced that it will fully finance and distribute Hellboy 2, after the project was dropped by Columbia Pictures. Guillermo del Toro is already signed on to return to direct.

Hellboy 2: The Golden Army follows Hellboy (played by Ron Pearkman) as he must save the world from the creatures of the nether-world, who have started a rebellion against humanity in order to rule the Earth.

Selma Blair is also signed on to return as Liz Sherman, the "horned hero's pyrokinetic love interest."

Doug Jones, who played Abe Sapien in the original, also expects to return: "The role of Abe Sapien will be beefed up quite a bit for part two," Jones said in an interview at Comic-Con 2006. "The relationship with Hellboy is going to be more fleshed out. ... The buddy thing ... and conflicts that arise with him are going to be more explored, which I'm very excited about. Abe gets more interaction with bad guys ... and has another little sub-storyline that I think is going to be delicious."

Universal hopes to have the second film in theaters nationwide in summer 2008.