In 2019, Neil Marshall – acclaimed director of The Descent – directed Hellboy, a reboot of Guillermo del Toro’s cult saga (2004 and 2008). In this new adaptation of Mike Mignola’s comic, David Harbor (Stranger Things) plays the anti-hero, replacing Ron Perlman.
In this version, which takes place in London, Hellboy must face a powerful demon who has returned from the dead to take revenge.
A big flop at the box office
With an estimated budget of $50 million, the May 2019 feature film grossed just $55 million at the international box office. By comparison, the first Perlman-led film grossed $99 million on a $66 million budget, while the sequel, Inferno II: Legion of Doom, grossed $168 million on an $85 million budget.
A real flop for Lionsgate, who decide to cut costs and not start a sequel. While promoting his upcoming 2022 action film Violent Night, David Harbor takes to the mic to discuss the disappointing results of his Hellboy. variety :”It taught me not to mess with well-established licenses! Don’t mess with what the audience already likes, that’s what I took away from this experience. ”
David Harbor as Hellboy
He adds: “Stranger Things or A violent night Original artwork, so people can appreciate it when they see it. They have no object of comparison. This is what I struggle with most about the existing licenses.“
New reboot!
However, four years after that failed attempt, director Brian Taylor (Ghost Rider 2, Jonah Hex) has been announced to direct Hellboy: The Crooked Man, a new reboot centered on the superhero. The story is inspired by “Crooked ManBy Mike Mignola and Joshua Dysart, published in 2008.
in the given interview ColliderThe director explains his intention: “I love the character of Hell. Guillermo Del Toro’s movies were big space operas and straight Del Toro. But some of the comics that Mike Mignola was doing at the time were very different. It was more folkloric and scary. Horror showed a younger Hell wandering the dark world in the corners…
A never-before-seen version of Hellboy
“Crooked Man” is an iconic book written by Mike and drawn by Richard Corben, another legend. Set in the late 50s, this is my favorite version of the character. So it’s exciting for me to come back to that and offer a version of Hellboy that we haven’t seen before.”
Jack Cassie
American actor Jack Cassie, already seen in The Strain and Deadpool 2, where he plays the black Tom Cassidy, will play the right-hand man of Destruction and will be surrounded by Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Leah McNamara and Joseph Marcel.
The Crooked Man is set in the 1950s, with Hellboy, then a young BPRD, on a mission in the Appalachians. There he discovers a small community haunted by witches and led by a demon linked to Hell’s past, the Twisted Man.
If he’s not on site, Mike Mignola, the creator of the comics, has been following the evolution of the project and wants to be a reassurance. The latter wrote in an Instagram post:Filming of the new HELLBOY movie has ended. I wasn’t on set to shoot this movie, but they were kind enough to send it to me right away, and I have to say, I loved what I saw. If fans have been waiting for a Hellboy movie that’s actually an adaptation of one of my stories, I think they’ll finally get it.
Kudos to director Brian Taylor and a really great cast – as well as co-writer Chris Golden, who put a lot of effort into figuring out how to give the studio what it wanted while still staying true to the heart and soul of The Crooked Man. A cute hell story. I wish Richard Corben was still around to see this…they did a great job bringing his truly terrifying character to life.”
Unfounded controversy
Last March, during a roundtable at the Berlin Film Festival, Millennium Media producer (which produces Hellboy) Jonathan Junger talked about AI, saying that he wasn’t a fan of AI-generated images, but that they were practical.
He specifies that he saw a demon character that passed outdidn’t look great” and then used AI to find new designs. “I was able to make 3000 creature models per hour. Now I can start selecting and editing them before sending them to VFX.”
site MotionPictures.org The comments were made in early May and suggested that Jonathan Junger was referring to Hellboy, which caused such an uproar from fans that director Brian Taylor had to clarify via his X Account.
“To be clear: Hellboy: The Crooked Man did not use artificial intelligence. Both characters – Hellboy and Crooked Man – were created and filmed 100% practically as the movie gods intended, with no CGI enhancements… and they are incredible.”
He adds in a second post: “Junger was misquoted. His comment was about a different movie. Demon possession. Make sure AI was not used Hellboy: The Crooked Man And that our glorious practical hell looks phenomenal. On the other hand, the article was probably written using artificial intelligence. “
The film is slated to hit our theaters in 2024, but no release date has been set yet, and no images – so far – have been revealed.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
