Followingthe recent news that comic book heroHellboywill be rebooted all over again, directorBrian Taylorhas promised that his plan for the project will be “something that hasn’t been seen on screen before.” Speaking withCollider, Taylor revealed a far few details about his vision for (yet another) reboot ofHellboy, declaring that it will absolutely be something that hardcore fans of the Dark Horse Comics character want to see on the big screen.
“I want fans to know that we’re coming at this film, from a place of love for the original material, and for the character, for Mike’s character. We’re not trying to reinvent some completely different idea of Hellboy—we’re trying to get back to the feeling of these particular books from the mid-aughts. It’s something that hasn’t been seen on screen before, but it’s a version I think hardcore Hellboy fans will want to see. Anyway, I do.”
Hellboywas first brought to live action by Oscar winning director Guillermo del Toro back in 2004. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, Doug Jones, Jeffrey Tambor, Rupert Evans, and John Hurt, del Toro’s adaptation was well-received by both critics and audiences alike, leading to another critically acclaimed outing,Hellboy II: The Golden Armyin 2008.
Instead of giving del Toro the trilogy he deserved, and audiences wanted, Lionsgate instead decided to reboot the property withHellboyin 2019.Stranger Thingsstar David Harbour takes over as Big Red, and while his performance was very well-received, the whole thing felt like a lesser-take on what del Toro did so brilliantly, leading to what can only be described as a critical mauling.
Time will tell what director Brian Taylor has in store, and how he will make aHellboymovie that both appeals to comic book fans while delivering something unique.
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The Hellboy Reboot Will Adapt the Comic Book Arc The Crooked Man
Details of what theHellboyreboot will involve have come thick and fast, with Taylor revealing that the movie will adapt the comic book miniseries,The Crooked Man. Published in 2008,The Crooked Manis a smaller, more intimate, lower stakes story than audiences are used to, and finds the well-meaning half-Demon assist a man who wishes to save his soul.
“More lean and mean, creepy folk horror. A younger Hellboy, wandering the dark corners of the world… Paranormal investigator, night stalker… The Crooked Man in particular is just such an iconic book—written by Mike, drawn by Richard Corben, another legend,”Taylor explained. “Set in the late 50s. For me it’s my favorite version of the character. So the appeal of this one to me, is to go back to that and do a real reset, and really give us that version of Hellboy, which I just don’t think we’ve seen yet."
No release date has yet been set for theHellboyreboot, nor do we know who will step into the big boots (or might it be skinny legs and hooves this time around?) of the title character. Stay tuned for more on theHellboy: The Crooked Man.
