The first trailer for “Hellboy: The Crooked Man,” directed by Brian Taylor, co-director of “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance,” has arrived. Mike Mignola, the creator of the Hellboy character for Dark Horse Comics in 1993, co-wrote the screenplay.
Ron Perlman first brought the big red hero with sawed-off horns to the big screen in Guillermo del Toro’s “Hellboy” (2004) and “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (2008). However, disappointing box office returns for the second film canceled a third installment from del Toro. The character returned in 2019 with “Stranger Things” star David Harbour in the lead role, which /Film’s review called “one of the worst comic book movies ever made.”
In “The Crooked Man,” Jack Kesy, known for his roles in “Deadpool 2” and “The Killer,” takes on the mantle of Hellboy. The film, set in the 1950s, follows Hellboy as he teams up with rookie BPRD agent Adeline Rudolph (“Resident Evil”) to protect the residents of Appalachia from the sinister Crooked Man, who is collecting souls for the devil.
The trailer showcases some questionable CGI and a lower budget compared to previous installments, but the horror-infused setting in the Appalachian mountains offers a fresh and intriguing direction for the franchise. The glimpse of the creepy Crooked villain is suitably unsettling, and Kesy’s Hellboy makeup strikes a balance between prosthetics and emotive ability.
Despite the mixed track record of recent Hellboy reboots, the film’s direct adaptation of a 2008 comic book arc and its unique horror-tinged premise provide enough intrigue to give the reboot a chance. As fans continue to reminisce about del Toro’s unfinished vision for the character, “Hellboy: The Crooked Man” offers a new interpretation that could potentially breathe new life into the franchise.
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