Hellboy is reportedly returning to live-action in a new reboot much sooner than anticipated. The character, a red-skinned half-demon who fights supernatural threats to humanity and who originated in the Dark Horse comics of the same name, originally came to live-action in Guillermo del Toro's 2004 film Hellboy and its 2008 sequel Hellboy II: The Golden Army. The property was rebooted in 2019 with David Harbour taking over for Ron Perlman in the lead role, but that film was a flop, barely earning $55 million off its $50 million budget.
Per Collider, a new live-action reboot titled Hellboy: The Crooked Man is currently in the works from Millennium Media. The script is reportedly already completed, though it is unknown what screenwriter is behind it. According to the report, filming is set to commence in Bulgaria this April under the auspices of director Brian Taylor of the 2006 Jason Statham vehicle Crank and its sequel Crank: High Voltage. There is currently no word as to who will be playing the title role.
Is the World Ready for a New Hellboy?
As this new version of Hellboy is mounted, it seems prudent to examine the reasons why the 2019 Hellboy failed. The primary reason seems to be the quality of the film itself. It garnered a thoroughly rotten 17 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics, and audiences only tolerated it slightly more, giving it a 48 percent rating.
There was also the matter that Harbour hadn't yet proved he could lead a movie. Although his role as Sheriff Hopper in Stranger Things made him a star, he hadn't yet had the theatrical success he would later garner in the MCU film Black Widow and the holiday action-comedy Violent Night. Hiding his face behind prosthetics and makeup likely prevented audiences from connecting his name to the character and making an effort to see the film because of his starring role.
It seems likely that this new Hellboy will be given a smaller budget as the company tests the waters to see if the film will garner any interest so soon after the previous entry. However, one element they can't skimp on is the makeup effects bringing Hellboy to life. If the iconic character is rendered improperly, it will even further alienate fans who already seem on the fence about the Hellboy film franchise as it stands. However, it may come to pass that the 2019 film will just be a blip on the radar as the franchise rights itself and turns out another solid entry.
Source: Collider