Actress Milla Jovovich claims Hellboy 2019 will become a cult classic. Directed by Neil Marshall, the supernatural superhero film is a reboot of Guillermo del Toro’s 2004 film, in which Ron Perlman stars in the title role. The new Hellboy recently bombed at the box office after critics wrote scathing reviews. Del Toro didn’t receive an offer to direct Hellboy 2019, and Perlman refused to star if the original director wasn’t involved.
In Lionsgate’s Hellboy reboot, David Harbour stars as the title character, while Jovovich co-stars as Nimue aka The Blood Queen. Based on Mike Mignola’s graphic novel series, the film was originally supposed to be a sequel to del Toro’s 2018 film Hellboy II: The Golden Army, however the project evolved into a reboot after Marshall’s hiring. The English filmmaker directed the 2005 horror film The Descent, which is arguably a modern cult classic, and Marshall also directed the Game of Thrones season 2 episode “Blackwater,” along with season 4’s penultimate episode,“The Watchers on the Wall.” Produced for $50 million, Hellboy 2019 has only earned slightly over $23 million at the box office, and the reviews have been especially brutal.
On Instagram, Milla Jovovich defended Hellboy with a lengthy Instagram post that addresses the “stressful” opening weekend and the nature of show business. The actress suggested that early reviews aren't necessarily indicative of a film’s legacy by stating, “All my raddest films have been slammed by critics. It’s f**king hilarious. Dazed and Confused? Seriously? Classic movie. The Fifth Element!” Jovovich goes on to pay respect to franchise creator Mignola, and she also references the aforementioned film The Descent. As a whole, Jovovich doesn’t list specific evidence as to why Hellboy will become a cult classic - at least in terms of filmmaking - though she does offer a numbered list that acknowledges her collaborators. Check out Jovovich’s full post below.
While Hellboy may be a legitimate box office flop, Jovovich’s performance has been praised by many. In addition, she makes a good point by noting that many of her films have indeed become cult classics. Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused barely made any money in theaters, but it's regarded by many as one of the best coming-of-age stoner comedies. And whereas The Fifth Element nearly tripled its $90 million budget at the box office, the science fiction film polarized critics. Jovovich also cites The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, which theatrically underperformed and was helmed by the controversial French auteur Luc Besson. As for Zoolander, the action comedy doubled its budget but wasn’t necessarily taken seriously by critics, even if the humor seemed to resonate with general moviegoers.
It’s true that negative critic reviews don’t always influence mainstream audiences. For a recent example, see 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody. But whereas that film is a PG-13 biopic about an iconic rock singer, Hellboy isn’t exactly a family-friendly, sing-along film. As a result, critics and moviegoers will dissect the storytelling and filmmaking, and they’ll also compare the reboot to franchise films that came before. Only time will tell if Hellboy 2019 holds up.
Source: Milla Jovovich