Upcoming movie Hellboy: The Crooked Man isn’t the first time we have seen the strikingly red superhero on the big screen. Most recently, Stranger Things star David Harbour portrayed the character in a much criticized 2019 film, but when you think of Hellboy, Ron Perlman’s portrayal in director Guillermo del Toro’s series (2004’s Hellboy and 2008’s Hellboy: The Golden Army) probably comes to mind.
Whilst those films are much beloved by fans, according to Crooked Man director Brian Taylor it’s not exactly a true take on the character – and that’s for both him and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. As Taylor tells Total Film in our new issue, out on Thursday August 15 which features Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on the cover: “As cool as those other movies were, even Mignola will tell you it’s not quite his character.”
New adaptation Hellboy: The Crooked Man therefore goes right back to the source, leaning into the period setting and folk-horror vibe with a story set in the 1950s which is based specifically on the limited comic series of the same name. For Taylor then, it’s a different direction and one that isn’t intended to start a new franchise.
He emphasizes there was never the intention to imitate what has been done before: “I don’t think in terms of ‘it’s a reboot’ or trying to start a new franchise – this isn’t content, it’s a movie that needs to stand on its own. Nobody wants to see a cheap knock-off of a Guillermo del Toro $100-million movie. This is going back to the young Hellboy where he was really more of the plumber who’s going to fix your monster problem. This wandering, sarcastic, soulful, smoking guy who stumbles on supernatural hauntings and occurrences and helps out as best he can. If Mike feels like for the first time he sees his guy on screen, then I feel like we’ve succeeded.”
Check out some exclusive images of Jack Kesy as the superhero for Hellboy: The Crooked Man below:
Hellboy: The Crooked Man will release in UK cinemas on September 27. There is currently no US release date. You can read more about it and a whole lot else besides in the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, August 15.
Check out the covers below:
Pre-order the issue here to bag your copy or click here to subscribe to Total Film and never miss another exclusive. You’ll get every issue before it’s in stores and you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers.
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