Hellboy II: The Golden Army was released in the United States on July 11, 2008, to generally positive reviews from critics; with praise towards its fantasy atmosphere, as well as Perlman and the other cast's acting performances. The film received a nomination for Best Makeup at the 81st Academy Awards.
Actor Ron Perlman portrayed Hellboy, an immensely powerful demon who works for the government organization Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D.). Guillermo del Toro described the character's dilemma in the sequel, "Hellboy has always fought on the side of humans, but the fantasy of destruction pushes his buttons to reconsider."
