from http://www.thedigitalbits.com/:

Interesting news from director Guillermo del Toro about the forthcoming DVD release(s) of the forthcoming Hellboy. In an interview over at Countingdown.com, del Toro reveals that the film will be released as a movie-only edition in August, and then as a fully-loaded 2 or 3-disc special edition in December. The SE will also include a longer version of the film, as well as "a special box with a bust of Hellboy with the gun."

At least they are letting fans know two DVD editions will be released.

Very cool. Hope the movie is good.

Same here. I almost wish they'd just release the uber-Edition only.

No - not everyone wants the SE. This way they can keep the rental places happy and the fans get a better quality product instead of a rushed-out-to-meet-demand one.

I want the SE but not the toy.

from the interview:

CD: How long is the current cut of the movie?

GDT: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

CD: Is it gonna stay that length, you think?

GDT: It will stay that length until the DVD, yeah.

CD: Did a lot of footage get cut?

GDT: We cut 45 minutes of the movie. I think that the final cut on the DVD will probably be 2 hours and 10 minutes. We're including a lot of scenes that are more permissible to put back after the movie's release, because if someone is buying the special edition, they want to see more. As opposed to trying to be prudent...I think that an action-adventure movie shouldn't be longer than two hours, but that's my opinion.

CD: Is any of that stuff that was cut in anticipation of the MPAA viewing it?

GDT: No, no, nothing, no I didn't do any of that. I really cut it because I felt it was interesting or beautiful or this or that, but it got in the way of the movie flowing. And right now I think that this movie, to me, is a movie that should play for adults and young people. And I don't want to lose one or the other, I think that it is such a nice, beautiful little story between Broom and Hellboy, and between Hellboy and Liz, that I don't want to give it too heavy a rhythm.

...

CD: You've always been someone who has been supportive of the DVD format, and getting as much material on there as possible - how is the Hellboy DVD shaping up?

GDT: Yeah, yeah - in fact, right now as we were recording the score, there was a guy from the DVD, the producer Javier, he was recording the whole session. I think this is gonna be a much more extra-oriented DVD than Blade II, which was already packed, this is gonna be the motherload. And I think that when you spend 19 bucks on a DVD, you better get what you paid for. So, Hellboy's gonna come out in August, with a regular version of the movie with some extras, in December it's gonna come out in a double or triple disk, with a longer cut of the movie, and also a special box with a bust of Hellboy with the gun.

CD: Any planned features that you wanna tease?

GDT: There's a lot of stuff, there's so many...I mean, we have interactive digital comics that Mike [Mignola] did, we have the whole program about the BPRD, we have three commentary tracks - we're gonna have the actors, who we're gonna have on an isolated screen, we're gonna have my commentary with [director of photography] Guillermo Navarro, we're gonna have a commentary with Mike Mignola, we have an interview with Mike Mignola and with me about comics and pulp detectives, we have a great feature with Scott McCloud about comics and film, which is very neat. And on top of all of that, we have all the regular extras that you might expect. We have cartoons that are playing in Hellboy's room isolated in their own little chapter. We have the UPA cartoons of Gerald McBoing Boing, and the Telltale Heart, which are masterpieces. We also have an isolated score track...it's really gonna be loaded.

CD: I know that recently you've said that things on the movie have been too busy to produce a video game to coincide with the film - are there still any plans for a video-game using the film's vocal talent after the film's release?

GDT: Quite frankly, it's not that that they were too busy not to do it, they were busy not to do it correctly, The problem is most people would put out the shittiest DVD and the shittiest ****ing game just to gather some bucks. But I think if you put up a bad video game of the movie, and this is an aspect I have never been involved with, if you put out a bad game, its kind of a downer. Like, the Lord of the Rings game is awesome. I spend hours playing it. And, for example, I have never seen Buffy, but the game was very playable!

CD: We're gonna talk about that later, you must go back and watch Buffy...

GDT: No no, I hear the show is great, and I want to see it but my time is very limited and I don't watch much TV aside from the Simpsons and the Sopranos, the two families that I care for [laughs]...But I think that we want the game to be both scary and action in one single pack. And we have to wait to design it. I want Mike Mignola to be involved. We are, and this may fill the fans with joy, we are in talks with a Japanese company to do a Hellboy anime series, and what it will be is it will be short thirty minute chapters, so that you can do 'The Corpse'.

I can't wait for the super DVD, but at the same time, I'm wondering if it will really be out in December. I'm still waiting on my Daredevil directors cut.

I cannot explain in words how much I'm looking foward to this movie. . . . . . & DVD release. . . . . . & every possible statue, toy, merchandise association with it..

Can't Wait!!!

I'm a little disturbed by this bit...
I really don't think del Toro should create a longer cut of the film just to please those who only buy DVDs "with TONS of extras!". If a longer cut were to be made, it should be because of del Toro's own desire to do one (aka the LOTR EEs).

It's just my preference when buying films on DVD because I love learning about the background and troubles of the particular film I'm watching.
No bare bones for me unless the price is right.

say it with me people SEAMLESS BRANCHING. That is one of the big features DVD was supposed to hit big way back when. Yet, it is hardly used.

Enough with the multiple editions already. Gouging the customer.

Eh. This is Columbia we're talking about. They love to whore thair movies... We'll get an SE first, a Deluxe Edition later, and then a Superbit, and whatnot.

I'm interested in the three discer. I just hope it'll be available alone without us having to pay for a box and sculpture.

Awesome. I can rent it and then decide if I want to buy the big release when it comes out...

the SE sounds good. i saw the movie, i liked it very much.

did you get in on the Pre-order for The Samaritan? or was it you who told me to jump on it when I did?

I loved the movie, so I'll gladly pick up both versions. I'm happy that we are at least getting advance notice that there will be multiple editions released. Guillermo del Toro is definitely a man who cares about his fans, and I'm sure he won't disappoint.

way to go, Guillermo!
SE sounds pretty nice

I bet it won't have DTS however. Columbia will probably make us triple-dip on the Superbit for that.

... ah, but there'll probably be a foreign release that will drop the foreign language tracks in favor of an english dts track.

look at what PJ has started a trend for, i love it

Its not gouging if you know in advance everything they plan to release.

I completely agree, at least hes letting us know that there will be a new edition released a few monthes after the initial release. There are numerous DVD's out there that have multiple editions which we had no idea that were coming out. Army of Darkness is a perfect example. If you really liked the movie then get both editions, if not then pick one. Ill probably wait for the special edition, unless I can get the standard one dirt cheap