Hollywood has tried a couple of different paths for the ‘Hellboy’ franchise. When Guillermo del Toro was involved, the franchise was less horror and more fantasy, showing off del Toro’s penchant for creating memorable creatures. Then, back in 2019, with Neil Marshall behind the camera and David Harbour in the lead role, the film became an R-rated spectacle with huge effects and lots of lore. Now, with “Hellboy: The Crooked Man,” it looks like the franchise is going back to its comic book roots. 

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As seen in the trailer, “Hellboy: The Crooked Man” is a much more grounded interpretation of the “Hellboy” comics. In fact, you could go so far as to say it’s the most accurate to the source material the franchise has ever gotten. The film is co-written by Mike Mignola (the creator of the character) and Christopher Golden (writer who has scripted some of the comics). The film is set in the ‘50s and tells the story of Hellboy coming to an Appalachian town to investigate rumors of the Crooked Man. 

The cast for this new era of ‘Hellboy’ includes Jack Kesy as the title character, Adeline Rudolph, Jefferson White, Leah McNamara, Joseph Marcell, Hannah Margetson, and Martin Bassindale. ‘The Crooked Man’ is directed by Brian Taylor, who is best known for the films he co-directed with colleague Mark Neveldine such as “Crank” and “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.”

“Hellboy: The Crooked Man” is set to arrive later this year. You can watch the trailer below.