Hellboy Fans Are All Saying The Same Thing About The Character's New Movie Look
After the beloved "Hellboy" duology directed by Guillermo del Toro, things took a turn for the worse with the 2019 "Hellboy" reboot, where a lot of things went wrong. The less said, the better on that front, but the big red guy is getting another shot on the big screen later this year that'll see Jack Kesy don some muttonchops and shaved horns with "Hellboy: The Crooked Man." The reboot's first trailer just dropped, previewing a film that takes the franchise in a folk-horror direction. While this sounds like an enticing proposition, it would appear that fans just aren't feeling the character's new look, with many likening it to some cheap cosplay.
As images from the trailer made their way to X (formerly known as Twitter), the jokes quickly rolled in. X user @washedjohn opted for an oldie but a goodie: "'Honey we've got Hellboy at home.' *The Hellboy at home.*" And while the prospect of a new "Hellboy" arriving to wash the taste left by the 2019 version out of everyone's mouth is exciting, @JUchiha909 isn't holding their breath. "I mean, I'm all for another Hellboy film," they tweeted. "But if you told me that was from a fan made film, I'd believe you."
Rest assured, it's a professionally-made movie that was even co-written by "Hellboy" creator Mike Mignola. That's bound to give it some extra cred, and perhaps the images out there simply aren't the best to show fans what the film offers.
Hellboy's new look is all practical
"Hellboy: The Crooked Man" has already the recipient of some dubious press. Earlier this year, there was controversy due to a misunderstanding where people initially thought the new film was going to use AI to enhance some of the effects. "Crooked Man" director Brian Taylor took to social media to set the record straight. "To be clear: there is exactly *ZERO* AI used on hellboy: the crooked man. both characters – hellboy and the crooked man – were created and shot 100% gloriously practical, as the movie gods intended, with no cgi enhancement... and look AMAZING." While that's good to hear, it makes it even more of a shame that the new, practical Hellboy look hasn't been well-received.
It's clear fans still have a soft spot for Ron Perlman's portrayal of the demonic character. @CocaColaOfish likened Jack Kesy's demonic hero to a far less beloved iteration, posting, "We're finally getting the sequel to Disaster Movie Hellboy" along with a screenshot of the character from the poorly-received parody film. Many seem to think it's time for the character to embrace a different medium, like one X user who wrote, "Hellboy has such a unique visual style that live-action doesn't help it. We need an animated Hellboy movie."
Given Hellboy's look and the film's general aesthetic, it would seem "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" has a drastically lower budget than most modern comic book adaptations. It seems to be opting for creepy folk-horror vibes rather than extravagant visual effects, and maybe that new turn will make audiences look past the costumes. If done well, "Hellboy: The Crooked Man" could very well take a spot among the upcoming superhero movies that will blow us all away.