It was previously reported that a new live-action Hellboy film was in the works. Now it’s been officially confirmed. The new film, titled Hellboy: The Crooked Man, will begin filming next month in Bulgaria.
This confirmation comes via Deadline. Additionally, they noted that the film will indeed be directed by Brian Taylor (Crank and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance). Perhaps most excitingly, however, is that Hellboy creator Mike Mignola penned the screenplay for the film.
They revealed that Mignola worked alongside Dark Horse comics collaborator Chris Golden to write the story. As such, this certainly lends a certain amount of authenticity to the project. And, after two previous live-action iterations, makes this a project worth paying close attention to.
It’s been stated that the story will “expand Hellboy’s world through one of the most beloved issues of the comic series.” This, of course, being the fan-favorite comic book arc of the same name. As explained:
“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.”
They had this to say regarding the titular villain:
“In the comic, The Crooked Man was an eighteenth-century miser and war profiteer named Jeremiah Witkins who was hanged for his crimes yet returned from Hell as the region’s resident Devil.”
Millennium Media’s President Jeffrey Greenstein is confident that this will spawn a new film series after the 2019 film failed to do so.
“The Crooked Man is a departure from all previous Hellboy films where Mike Mignola and the creator of the comics will finally shepherd an authentic version of his stories and characters in film form,” he began. “This is the first in the series of films that will captivate audiences in familiar (and new) ways. Brian Taylor is an expert across the board, and I couldn’t think of a better person to bring this story to life to show our audience this different and original Hellboy slate of films.”
It’s currently unknown who will star in the film as Hellboy. Ron Perlman and David Harbour played the character in past iterations.
Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for additional updates regarding Hellboy: The Crooked Man as we have them. For now, however, it looks like fans should get ready for another live-action Hellboy film.