A trailer has emerged for the latest entry in the Hellboy franchise, once again rebooting the stone-fisted, horn-headed comic book character for 2024.
Directed by Brian Taylor, Hellboy: The Crooked Man is the second reboot of the comic book property created by Mike Mignola and published by Dark Horse.
The character was originally adapted for film in 2004, where he was played by Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman, under the directorial vision of Guillermo del Toro.
The character returned for a sequel in 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army. While fans were left clamouring for a third entry, it never emerged, and the series was instead rebooted in 2019.
Directed by The Descent and Game of Thrones filmmaker Neil Marshall, this new version starred David Harbour (Stranger Things) – but failed to make its mark, releasing to limp critical and audience reaction.
And, if the reaction to The Crooked Man’s first trailer is anything to go by, the third time is very much not the charm.
Released by Ketchup Entertainment, Hellboy: The Crooked Man sees the superhero stranded in rural America with a fellow Bureau of Paranormal Research (BPRD) agent, and beset by witches and a creature known as ‘the crooked man.’
Actor Jack Kesy plays Hellboy, leading a cast of relative unknowns which also includes Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph and Joseph Marcell.
This lower-budget take on the source material has left many fans confused, with some claiming that it resembles a ‘fan film’ rather than the blockbuster of the 00s.
As the trailer landed, so did viewer reactions. And, like the scarlet-faced monster masher himself, they weren’t pretty.
‘Just waking up in the morning, gotta thank God. This fan made Hellboy trailer looks interesting. I’m sorry wut, THIS IS A REAL FILM? HOW THIS LOOK WORSE THAN THE 2019 VERSION? Dammit someone get Ron Perlman some Compound V because he’s NEEDED [sic],’ UpToTASK wrote on X.
‘Weird. It almost looks like a fan film. However, I do like the idea of a more horror-based Hellboy movie rather than an action-fantasy. I am not gonna judge the actor yet but the makeup looks…fine? The eyes look too human though. I hope the movie is decent,’ wrote MelodyMcReady.
‘So the new Hellboy looks like a fan film,’ said MotherworldKid.
‘When you order Hellboy from Wish,’ joked SalamRawae.
‘This looks like a fan film, I just wanna see Hellboy 3 with Guillermo and Ron Perlman back,’ agreed A_MacRants.
Ouch.
Featuring a lower budget than previous entries and accordingly stripped-back visuals, The Crooked Man appears to be a less fantastical version of a Hellboy movie.
It’s star, too, is a far cry from his bulked-up predecessors, with a toned but slender body and surprisingly human eyes peering out from behind the red make-up.
But, while previous instalments only took inspiration from the comic books, this one is specifically based on the arc of the same name.
And, unlike the films before it, The Crooked Man also comes from a screenplay co-written by the character’s creator, who gives the adaptation his full blessing.
Inspired by folk horror rather than the blend of comedy and action of the other films, it aims to embrace the series’ darker, more adult roots.
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