Hellboy: The Crooked Man Cast, Director, Writers, And More Details
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe plunges deeper into The Multiverse Saga with "The Marvels" and "Loki," and James Gunn prepares to launch DC Films with "Superman: Legacy," it can feel now more than ever that the Big Two comic book companies have successfully dominated the film industry, edging out what little competition they had to the margins of obscurity. But while most third-party superheroes have taken the battle to the small screen (and quite successfully so, at least in the case of "The Boys" and "Invincible"), "Hellboy" remains one of the few willing to step into the theatrical ring.
The demonic comic book icon (created by industry legend Mike Mignola and published through Dark Horse Comics) is set to make yet another comeback in the near future with the feature film "Hellboy: The Crooked Man." This follows fairly closely on the heels of the failed 2019 Hellboy reboot, which was led by "Stranger Things" star David Harbour and was ultimately a critical and commercial disappointment. Still, there remains a strong chance that a fresh creative team, cast, and story could give the World Destroyer the firepower he had when Guillermo del Toro had the reins — perhaps even more so if they lean into the character's folk horror roots.
When will Hellboy: The Crooked Man be released?
As of writing, "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" has received no confirmed release date from either the film's producers or its distributor, Ketchup Entertainment. The project was first announced in February 2023, a little over a month before production began in Bulgaria. In May of 2023, it was reported that principal photography had wrapped.
We can only speculate at this point when "The Crooked Man" will arrive. In 2023, Ketchup Entertainment released two films (the drama "Memory" and the Ben Affleck-starrer "Hypnotic"), the company's highest output since 2014. This pattern — combined with the fact that "The Crooked Man" is Ketchup's only upcoming release as of this writing — makes it a relatively safe bet that "The Crooked Man" will arrive at some point in 2024.
What is the plot of Hellboy: The Crooked Man?
According to an initial report from Deadline, "The new film will see Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. There, they discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy's past: the Crooked Man." This short synopsis seems mostly in line with previous "Hellboy" films, which see the titular character working as an agent of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD).
Given its reported 1950s setting, this story will seemingly take place just a few years after Anung Un Rama was summoned from the depths during the waning months of World War II by the Nazi-aligned Grigori Rasputin (the primary antagonist of the 2004 "Hellboy" film, played by "Grand Theft Auto IV" actor Karel Roden). It will also, of course, share many similarities with the 2008 comic book arc of the same name.
Is Hellboy: The Crooked Man based on a comic book story?
"The Crooked Man" was a three-issue comic book arc written by creator Mike Mignola and drawn by artist Richard Corben, published by Dark Horse Comics over the course of several months in 2008 as part of the "Hellboy" comic book series. It resembles the above synopsis very closely — "The Crooked Man" arc takes place in the year 1958 in the Appalachian Mountains; the plot involves a community of witches; and the main antagonist is a devil called "The Crooked Man."
In the comics, The Crooked Man is the malevolent, demonic ghost of Jeremiah Witkins, an unscrupulous gunrunner, merchant, and all-around war profiteer who settled in the mountains and made his fortune by exploiting the American Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and various violent conflicts involving local Indigenous tribes. His misdeeds eventually caught up with him, and he was executed by his own community.
By 1958, his spirit haunts the mountains, where the local witches assist him in his crusade to corrupt and steal innocent souls. Ultimately, Hellboy, in collaboration with a reformed witch and a blind priest, sends him to Hell for good.
Who is starring in Hellboy: The Crooked Man?
Starring as the titular demonic detective is Jack Kesy, a 37-year-old actor best known for his supporting roles in the films "Deadpool," "12 Strong," "Baywatch," and the 2018 "Death Wish" remake. Kesy has big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of Ron Pearlman and David Harbour. Fortunately, he's worked with several "Hellboy" producers on previous projects, all of whom felt he brought the "moody... dark and creepy" energy the reboot is aiming for. As one executive told Deadline, "Jack Kesy is a dynamic actor who has the ability to morph into his roles. His talent and stature are perfect for this younger Hellboy."
Playing opposite Kesy's Hellboy is "Yellowstone" actor Jefferson White, cast as the reformed witch Tom Ferrell. In the comics, Ferrell teams up with Hellboy to take down the Crooked Man after the latter attempts to rob him of a magical artifact. Rounding out the cast are Joseph Marcell ("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") as Reverend Watts, Hannah Margetson as Cora Fisher, and Leah McNamara ("Vikings") as Effie Kolb, the Crooked Man's ally. Additionally, Professor Bruttenholm will be played by Martin Bassindale while Adeline Rudolph (known for "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and set to star as Kitana in "Mortal Kombat 2") has been cast as an original character named Bobbie Jo Song.
Who is directing Hellboy: The Crooked Man?
"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" is directed by Brian Taylor, likely best known for directing the Jason Statham-led action film "Crank" as well as its sequel, "Crank: High Voltage." This is not Taylor's first attempt at adapting a beloved comic book series, having helmed the critically and commercially disastrous DC Comics film "Jonah Hex" in 2010, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" in 2011, and the generally well-received SyFy series "Happy!" in 2017.
In an interview with Collider from February 2023, Taylor shared that the version of Hellboy seen in the original "Crooked Man" comic book arc was his favorite overall. "'The Crooked Man' in particular is just such an iconic book," he said, "written by Mike [Mignola, and] drawn by Richard Corben, another legend." Taylor also stated clearly that he approached his adaptation of "The Crooked Man" as a fan, making it specifically for others like himself. "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," he said. "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."
Who is writing and producing Hellboy: The Crooked Man?
Christopher Golden wrote the script for "Hellboy: The Crooked Man," which is apparently his first feature-length screenplay. He has written and co-written numerous prose and comic book adventures starring the character, as well as a number of projects relating to the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" franchise, including two video games and the "Slayers" podcast. "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola also receives a writing credit, as he has for all previous "Hellboy"-related projects.
Leading the charge on the production side of things is Millennium Media, which bought the film rights to "Hellboy" back in 2018 (after which it quickly produced the ill-fated 2019 reboot). Millenium's 2023 films included "The Offering" and "Expend4bles." Campbell Grobman Films has partnered with Millennium for the endeavor, having previously done so for the 2019 reboot. "The Crooked Man" was shot in part at Millenium's Nu Boyana Film Studios and will be distributed by Ketchup Entertainment.
Is Hellboy: The Crooked Man in the same universe as any previous Hellboy films?
"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" does not share the same universe as either the Guillermo del Toro "Hellboy" films or the 2019 reboot starring David Harbour. Instead, the upcoming film has been described as a complete reset that will start a new canon of "Hellboy" stories. Director Brian Tyler's primary goal seems to be to craft a world that feels closer in spirit and tone to Mike Mignola's original comic book series.
"I love the character of Hellboy and my favorite run of the character is this particular era," he told Collider in February. "The GDT movies were massive scale space operas and just pure Del Toro through and through. But some of the comics Mike was doing at the time had a very different feeling. More lean and mean, creepy folk horror." He went on to say that the appeal of this project to him was "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."
What will Hellboy: The Crooked Man be rated?
Per director Brian Tyler, "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" is aiming for a very intentional R-rating. Guillermo del Toro's "Hellboy" films were rated PG-13, while the most recent 2019 reboot was rated R. "I pitched ['The Crooked Man' as] an R-rated folk horror movie and the team here at Millennium have been nothing but supportive," the director told Collider. "It's a great group of people, and they love horror."
That said, the team was seemingly careful about using the R-rating to honor the source material and not just to skew the story in an edgier direction. "We've definitely had a discussion of, you know, it doesn't really serve anybody to make something R for R's sake," he acknowledged, adding, "[The] original material is dark and scary and violent and adult. So in order to really embrace that, we just don't wanna have any handcuffs on."
What to watch before seeing Hellboy: The Crooked Man
As we stated above, "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" is not based on any of the previously established "Hellboy" continuities. Given that it's also set in an earlier time period than any of those other films and seeks to evoke an entirely different vibe as well, there's really no need whatsoever to watch anything beforehand to understand its context.
That said, if you're just hellbent on watching as much "Hellboy" as possible, you have plenty of options to choose from. The most popular cinematic take on the character is the Guillermo del Toro series, which consists of two live-action films and two animated films. To watch this series in chronological order, start with 2004's "Hellboy," then move on to the animated features "Sword of Storms" and "Blood and Iron," and, finally, finish with "Hellboy II: The Golden Army."
Though it was received much less warmly than the first two live-action films, it might behoove potential "Crooked Man" viewers to check out Millennium Media's previous crack at a "Hellboy" film — the 2019 reboot, starring "Stranger Things" actor David Harbour. It was practically savaged by critics following its release and went on to become a box-office bomb.
Where to watch every Hellboy movie
While you may not have to travel through the seven levels of Hell to watch every "Hellboy" film, finding places to stream them will be almost as complicated.
The first "Hellboy" film directed by Guillermo del Toro is available to stream on Netflix in the US. "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," however, is not available on any streaming platforms at the time of writing and must instead be purchased through a video-on-demand service like Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, or Apple TV. The animated films "Sword of Storms" and "Blood and Iron" are both included with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, though the latter film is currently available for free on YouTube.
Last (and potentially least, depending on your tastes) is "Hellboy" 2019, which is absent from all streaming platforms. It's only available to view via video-on-demand services, where the starting price to rent is just under $4.