According to a new report, Hellboy is getting another chance on the big screen.
Hellboy has seen two different on-screen adaptations.
The first was in 2004, starring Ron Pearlman in the titular role, with renowned Guillermo del Toro directing. Overall the first movie, and its sequel, were both received warmly—with fans dying to get a third film that never came.
Over a decade later came the 2019 reboot of the franchise, this time with David Harbour starring.
Needless to say, it was a disaster. The movie was panned by both critics and audiences alike. The film also managed to flop hard at the box office, failing to breach even $100 million.
Now, it looks like the franchise is ready for another attempt.
Hellboy is Getting Another Reboot
A report from Discussing Film revealed Millennium Media is set to give a Hellboy adaptation another shot.
The last film was released in 2019 and starred both David Harbour and Milla Jovovich. To this day, it sits at an abysmal 17% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Discussing Film's sources say that the live-action film's current working title is Hellboy: The Crooked Man. It's not known if that will be the final title of the movie, or if it will adapt the three-issue storyline of the same name, which debuted in April 2011.
The miniseries takes place in 1956 in West Virginia, where Hellboy encounters a man named Tom—someone who, when younger, sold his soul to a backwoods demon named the Crooked Man. The two team up to confront the demon in the dark heart of the Appalachian mountains.
It seems that this new blockbuster take on the franchise has been in development for a long while, with filming already set to begin by April in Bulgaria.
The casting process will begin over the next few weeks, so fans should hear more information about the project sooner rather than later.
Brian Taylor is set to direct. His previous credits include 2006's Crank, 2011's Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, and SyFy's late series Happy!.
When it comes to writing, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and horror author Christopher Golden will both be receiving credits. It is not known if they'll be contributing directly to the final script.
Another Hellboy is Good News, Not a Disaster
Many are likely surprised to see Hellboy getting another lease on life. After how badly the 2019 movie did, most fans assumed the franchise would be dead in the water for years to come.
After all, audiences had to campaign for years upon years to get even the 2019 installment made.
Focusing on The Crooked Man would be a smart move. The studio needs to really be faithful with the source material to get fans back on board.
If they don’t actually do Crooked Man, the Ogdru Jahad could be a fun threat to focus on. They are the biblical dragons of the apocalypse that Hellboy is destined to release upon the world ending everything.
If that’s too grand scale, another good option would be the ancient vampire Vladimir Giurescu. Maybe the movie can even release towards the end of 2024 and cash in on the popularity of Marvel Studios’ Blade project, which is due to release around the same time.
With casting about to start up, it seems like a new Hellboy will be cast in the leading role. But who?
Perhaps they could convince Ron Pearlman to come back. Though, maybe it’s best to stick with new blood.
