I have very rarely been able to call myself a fan of anything that is traditionally categorized as “fantasy,” having never finished the Lord of the Rings movies, nor seen a single episode of Game of Thrones, to name a few of the most essential examples. That being said, it makes sense that one of my favorite franchises associated with the genre is anything but traditional: the Hellboy movies, which will be continuing soon with the upcoming superhero movie, Hellboy: The Crooked Man.
Some, however, may be wondering if it is too soon (or at all necessary) to see yet another reboot of the franchise based on Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic book series, which was originally brought to the big screen in the form of one of Guillermo del Toro’s best movies, and with Ron Perlman in the title role, in 2004. Yet, with a new director at the helm, a new actor donning the filed-down horns, and an acclaimed story serving as the source material, this is shaping up to be a version of the big, red defender against the paranormal unlike anything cinema has seen yet. See what we mean in our following breakdown of all the most important facts we know about Hellboy: The Crooked Man so far.
What Is The Hellboy: The Crooked Man Release Date?
At the moment, no official release date for Hellboy: The Crooked Man has been formally announced. However, since cast member Adeline Rudolph’s Instagram story (via Adeline Rudolph BR on Twitter) confirmed that the film has gone into production in Bulgaria (the location we can thank Deadline for confirming) as of March 28, 2023, a 2024 release is highly likely.
If that is the case, the movie will be coming out 20 years after Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy was released, but only five years after the director Neil Marshall’s own reboot, which — despite its redeeming qualities — did not result in a very hot critical or commercial reception. How this subsequent reboot is received will be determined by various factors, including the man in the red.
Jack Kesy Leads The Hellboy: The Crooked Man Cast
Playing the heroic titular role is Jack Kesy, who last starred as a comic book character in a movie when he played X-Men villain Black Tom Cassidy in 2018’s Deadpool 2. The actor — also known for playing Gabriel Bolivar on Guillermo del Toro’s vampire TV show, The Strain — has the honor of following in the footsteps of the aforementioned Ron Perlman, who played “Red” in the 2004 original and its sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, four years later, and Stranger Things cast member David Harbour, who many (including CBR) agree was the best part of the 2019 reboot.
Joining Kesy in the Hellboy: The Crooked Man cast (according to Deadline) is Yellowstone cast member Jefferson White as Tom Ferrell — an Appalachian native whose experience in using witchcraft makes him a worthy partner to the devilish hero. Also featured is the aforementioned Adeline Rudolph — who has dealt with some freaky stuff when playing Agatha on Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and in the Resident Evil TV show cast — as a new character named Bobbie Jo Song.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man Is A Prequel Set In 1950s Appalachia
The key to a worthy reboot of an established, beloved franchise is bringing something genuinely new to the table, and that appears to be the goal with The Crooked Man. According to plot details revealed by Millennium Media at the European Film Market in Berlin (as an above Deadline article reported), the new movie takes place in the 1950s, when a younger Hellboy finds himself at odds with a coven of witches tormenting a small town near the Appalachian Mountains.
So, not only is this movie introducing a new cinematic iteration of our protagonist, but will depict him in the earlier years of his service to the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense, a la The Batman’s depiction of the Dark Knight’s second year fighting crime in Gotham City. The only other times we saw a more youthful Hellboy were when his infant self first came to Earth in the first film’s cold open, and when the 11-year-old demon learns the legend of the Golden Army in the sequel’s prologue.
The Movie Adapts Creator Mike Mignola’s Favorite Hellboy Story
If any die-hard fans of the original comic or Ron Perlman purists still needed any reason to be excited for this reboot, perhaps they will be when they learn about the source material. Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a direct adaptation of the three-part comic book miniseries of the same name, which was published by Dark Horse in 2008 and has since become one of the more favored, including among the character’s own creator. In an interview with Variety, Mike Mignola had this to say about the comic:
For years, we’ve been saying, if you’re going to make a Hellboy movie, make it small. And the perfect story to do that with is my personal favorite, ‘The Crooked Man.’ I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever written. It’s beautifully illustrated by Richard Corben, and it’s a solid story that doesn’t involve a million different characters. Everybody actually agreed from the very beginning, ‘Yes, we want to do that one.’ Budget-wise, it’s good because it’s a lower budget kind of a story. It’s not the Hellboy origin. It’s not Hellboy saving the world. It’s not huge. It’s a subtle, dark, little folk horror story.
Not only is it exciting to know that we can also count this sequel among our upcoming horror movies to look forward to, but it is hard to believe that this will be the first film of that genre to star the red hero. This is especially surprising when you consider the fact that Del Toro is a horror fanatic who has a made a few of freaky features of his own and the director of 2019’s Hellboy, Neil Marshall, wrote and helmed one of the greatest horror movies in recent memory: 2005’s The Descent.
Brian Taylor Is Directing Hellboy: The Crooked Man
It is good to know that Hellboy’s first genuine foray into horror cinema will be helmed by someone who does have some experience with the genre, as well as comic book adaptations. According to Discussing Film, Brian Taylor — whose last film was the 2017 coming-of-age nightmare Mom and Dad, starring Nicolas Cage and (coincidentally) Hellboy star Selma Blair — is directing Hellboy: The Crooked Man.
Along with his former creative partner, Mark Neveldine, Taylor gained a reputation for crafting fast-paced action thrillers like the Crank movies, Gamer, and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. He first went off on his own to make Mom and Dad before developing a series adaptation of Grant Morrison’s twisted fantasy crime thriller comic, Happy!, for SyFy, and a Peacock original TV show based on Aldous Huxley’s sci-fi novel, Brave New World.
Mike Mignola Wrote The Movie With Chris Golden
The script could not be in better hands, as Mike Mignola penned it himself. The comic book icon did not write the screenplay for the 2004 adaptation or the 2019 reboot, but did collaborate on the story for Hellboy II: The Golden Army, making this the first time he has actually handled the screenplay for a Hellboy movie himself.
As he notes in his aforementioned conversation with Variety, Mignola was not alone in the process, and Chris Golden is a perfect choice for the job — having previously written a few Hellboy comics with Mignola and on his own. Mignola also mentions in the Variety article that each draft of the script has maintained the R-rated, horror-centric approach that he, Golden, and Taylor are pushing for.
As a fan of comic book movies and, especially, of horror movies, a film that combines the two into one is something that never fails to pique my interest. I also adore the character of Hellboy, so you can call me ecstatic in anticipation over Hellboy: The Crooked Man.