Hellboy Reboot Brings Deadpool 2 Star to Main Role
A new adaptation of a comic book begins to assemble its cast.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man, another adaptation of Mike Mignola's cult comic book series, casts Jack Kesy as the titular demonic protagonist.
Directed by Brian Taylor, best known for Crank (2006) and its sequel Crank: High Voltage (2009), as well as Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011), the story will follow the comic book ark of the same name as Hellboy and a rookie BPRD (Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) agent are stranded in the Appalachian Mountains in 1958.
They eventually stumble upon a small community haunted by witches, led by a local supernatural entity known as the Crooked Man.
Jack Kesy came to wider attention after his role in Deadpool 2, an American black comedy superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Deadpool.
There he portrayed Black Tom Cassidy, a mutant inmate of the Ice Box prison. He is also known for his appearances in Baywatch (2017), 12 Strong (2018), and the television series The Strain, where he played the role of Gabriel Bolivar, one of the antagonists of the show's first two seasons.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man is the third attempt to bring the titular character to the big screen.
The first was Hellboy (2004), directed and written by none other than Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican filmmaker known for his fascination with monsters and the use of practical special effects in his projects.
Featuring the director's signature fantastical visuals and the charisma of Ron Perlman in the lead role, the film managed to earn a cult following among fans over the years, as well as decent reviews from critics. Its sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, received similar treatment from critics and audiences.
The second attempt came in the form of a 2019 reboot, with David Harbour in the title role. With devastating reviews, Hellboy (2019) failed at the box office, earning the title of the biggest movie flop of the year and destroying any chance of a sequel.
With a new iteration of a legendary demon on the horizon, fans can only hope that it doesn't repeat the fate of its predecessor and ends up being a worthy adaptation of the original comic book.
A release date for Hellboy: The Crooked Man has yet to be announced.