Hellboy: The Crooked Man's First Trailer Introduces Jack Kesy's Demonic Hero

Ketchup Entertainment's "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" is the latest film adaptation of the titular demonic paranormal investigator's adventures. This time, Jack Kesy ("The Strain," "Deadpool 2") plays the big red protagonist in a tale adapted from Mike Mignola's comic book story of the same name. The cast, director, and writers of "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" include some intriguing names: "Crank" director Brian Taylor helms the project and Mignola is a co-writer, while the ensemble includes Jefferson White ("Yellowstone"), Joseph Marcell ("The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"), Leah McNamara ("Vikings"), and others.

"The Crooked Man" is one of the creepier stories in the untold truth of Hellboy, and takes the action in a distinct folk horror direction with its witchy premise and 1950s Appalachian setting. Courtesy of Entertainment Weekly, the first trailer for the movie is now here, and it makes clear that the newest incarnation of the big red hero is like nothing fans have seen in live-action so far. 

Ron Perlman's "Hellboy" and "Hellboy: The Golden Army" are Guillermo del Toro projects that are stuffed to the brim with the filmmaker's signature fantasy aesthetic and captivating visuals. Many things went wrong with 2019's "Hellboy" reboot, which switched Perlman for David Harbour and del Toro for horror director Neil Marshall, but the film nevertheless retains the first two movies' penchant for huge action sequences. Not so with "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" — at least based on its first trailer. 

While there are hints of witchy action here and a creepy snake there, the trailer opts to keep things simple and focus on the misty Appalachia's ominous atmosphere. Characters drop hints of gloom, doom, and an old local boogeyman whose creepy laugh can be heard near the end. Even Hellboy himself is a relatively muted presence here, with a simple, no-nonsense design and attitude that seem fairly faithful to the Perlman era. Whether this more muted approach can undo the damage the 2019 movie did to Hellboy's good — if grouchy — name remains to be seen, but based on the "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" trailer, the film isn't afraid to try something different.