Hellboy: The Crooked Man Looks Like A Fan Film, See The Proof
The first trailer for the new film Hellboy: The Crooked Man has dropped, and the project looks decidedly smaller-scale than previous films in the franchise. While social media has pointed out how the trailer looks a bit low-budget, it’s undeniable that it captured a moody and creepy atmosphere befitting the source material. Perhaps a lower–budget, indie horror vibe is exactly the type of Hellboy movie we need right now to get the franchise back on track.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is adapted from the comic-book miniseries of the same name by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, who is also the co-writer for the film alongside Christopher Golden (a Hellboy comic alum). Meanwhile, Crank’s Brian Taylor is directing. Jack Kesy is stepping into the lead role as the titular half-demon, inheriting it from Ron Perlman and David Harbour.
While del Toro’s films took more of a fantastical, epic approach, it seems like Hellboy: The Crooked Man is going full horror.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is the latest attempt to bring the character back to the big screen after the 2019 David Harbour-led version was a critical and commercial flop. Previously, Guillermo del Toro directed two well-received films, 2004’s Hellboy and the sequel, 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
While del Toro’s films took more of a fantastical, epic approach, it seems like Hellboy: The Crooked Man is going full horror. The trailer is filled with haunting imagery, like a woman being bitten by a snake. The story also takes place in the hills of Appalachia, making for a uniquely creepy setting that could be a good fit for the Hellboy franchise.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is also a period piece of sorts, taking place in the 1950s as Hellboy and a Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense agent work together to track down the Crooked Man, who is working with the devil to collect souls. Along with Jack Kesy in the lead role, the film also stars Adeline Rudolph as the rookie agent.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is the latest attempt to bring the character back to the big screen after the 2019 David Harbour-led version was a critical and commercial flop.
The cast is rounded out by Jefferson White as Tom Ferrel, Leah McNamara as Effie Kolb, Joseph Marcell as Reverend Watts, Hannah Margetson as Cora Fisher, and Martin Bassindale as the Crooked Man.
Outside of Hellboy: The Crooked Man, another recent Hellboy project was last year’s rogue-lite video game Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, which featured Lance Reddick in the titular role in one of his final performances.
It’ll be interesting to see Hellboy: The Crooked Man do a direct-to-screen adaptation of Mignola’s source material. While the del Toro films pulled elements from the comics, they didn’t stick to any one particular story, and the 2019 film pulled story elements from several different Hellboy comic books. The Crooked Man miniseries is an ideal place for the film to draw inspiration, and it’ll be cool to see it brought to life, even if the vibe is indie horror.
Outside of Hellboy: The Crooked Man, another recent Hellboy project was last year’s rogue-lite video game Hellboy: Web of Wyrd, which featured Lance Reddick in the titular role in one of his final performances. The game got good reviews, so if The Crooked Man can continue the trend, perhaps we’ll see a lot more Hellboy on our screens in the near future. The Crooked Man reportedly has a 2024 release window, but stay tuned, and we’ll keep you updated on when it’s officially coming out.
