Summary
While audiences may be divided on the movie for the time being, Mike Mignola has some major praise forHellboy: The Crooked Man. The upcoming film serves as the second reboot of the movie franchise based on Mignola’s comic book character of the same name, this time adapting the eponymous limited series as the protagonist becomes stranded near a town targeted by a demonic force in 1950s Appalachia.Deadpool 2alum Jack Kesy leads the ensembleHellboy: The Crooked Mancastalongside Martin Bassindale, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Joseph Marcell, Leah McNamara and Hannah Margetson.
In honor of this year’sSan Diego Comic-Con,Screen Rantinterviewed Mignola and the cast and crew ofHellboy: The Crooked Manto discuss the upcoming reboot. When asked about the movie’s accuracy to the comics, particularly compared to prior adaptations, the creator and co-writer was thrilled by how close to the source material it is, even revealing there are certain shots “that are panels from the comics”. See what Mignola shared below:
[My favorite thing was] to see how close it is to the comics. There are several shots in there that are panels from the comics and your fear is always, especially when you say it’s gotta be my favorite story, that it’s going to lose something. But all my favorite moments from the comic are in there. I mean, you’re holding your breath as you’re watching this. I actually got to watch, I didn’t go on set, but I saw dailies, and you’re just going, “I can’t believe this! Oh my God, you got it in there and is it going to stay in there when they cut the movie?”
Because there is a particular moment in the church that I loved so much. I thought, “Are they going to add special effects to that?” It’s just a quiet little moment. It could easily get cut, but it stayed all the way through. Not that I didn’t like the other movies or love bits and pieces from the other movies, but it was just… I was so grateful to see somebody that really did want to put [them in there], because at some point everybody says, “Oh yeah, we’re going to put your comic on screen.” But this is the time that it happened.
Mignola’s Comments Are A Major Boon For Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Audiences were not enthusiastic about the first trailer.
Though some have remained hopeful for the movie’s chances after the underwhelming response tothe David Harbour-ledHellboyreboot, the first trailer forThe Crooked Manultimately left audiences feeling a bit divided. Much like the upcomingCrowreboot, much of the criticism towards the first trailer revolved around the overall look of the upcoming movie, with many expressing it felt more like a fan film than a proper theatrical effort. Comparisons were also immediately made to Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimedHellboymovies, which fans of the franchise have also continued to campaign for a third installment.
5 Reasons Hellboy: The Crooked Man Will Be Better Than The 2019 Reboot
After 2019’s Hellboy failed commercially, the franchise is getting rebooted once again, but a few details hint that it could be much better.
Ultimately, however, Mignola’s assurances thatHellboy: The Crooked Manmay be the most accurate adaptation of his comics are sure to come as a welcome sign for said detractors. Much of the source material has more of a paranormal detective structure than a blockbuster-scale story, as seen in prior incarnations of the franchise.The Crooked Man, in particular, is a far more isolated story with a horror-driven tone, which presents a perfect opportunity for setting the reboot apart frompreviousHellboyinstallments.
Beyond his comments, though, the biggest point of confidence forHellboy: The Crooked Man’s potential success is the fact that Mignola is onboard as a co-writer for the movie with director Brian Taylor (Mom and Dad) andSlayers: A Buffyverse Story’s Christopher Golden. While Mignola was a fairly close collaborator on del Toro’s movies, he notably had minimal involvement with Harbour’s reboot, with some attributing its failure to such absence. Having the comic creator as close to the production as the reboot has and his promise of the best adaptation yet,Hellboy: The Crooked Mancould reverse the franchise’s fortunes.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man
Cast
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is a film set in the 1950s, where Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent find themselves in rural Appalachia. They encounter a small community plagued by witches, led by the Crooked Man, a local devil intricately linked to Hellboy’s own past.
