Hellboy The Crooked Man team say the new adaptation is most accurate

Mike Mignola’s iconic comic book hero returns to the big screen with Hellboy: The Crooked Man. The Dark Horse comics series centered on the titular half-demon was first adapted for live action with Guillermo del Toro’s eponymous 2004 movie, which scored largely positive reviews and was a modest box office hit. This, in turn, spawned a media franchise, including a direct sequel again Helm by del Toro, two animated movies with Ron Perlman reprising his role, and a 2019 Hellboy Reboot directed by David Harbour, which was poorly received and bombed at the box office.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man Serves as the second reboot of the franchise, adapting the titular limited comic book series more directly. The story finds Hellboy and rookie BPRD agent, Bobbie Jo Song, as they become stranded in Appalachia in the 1950s after a train crash. Along the way, the duo find themselves in a community tormented by a local devil known as the Crooked Man, and as they try to defeat the demonic enemy, they learn that he has a dark past connection to the titular hero.

Jack Casey leads the ensemble Hellboy: The Crooked Man Starring Martin Bassindale, Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Joseph Marcel, Leah McNamara and Hannah Margetson. Unlike previous adaptations, Mignola is not only onboard as an executive producer, but also co-wrote the script with Christopher Golden and director Brian Taylor. The movie marks Taylor’s return to the comic book genre after co-writing the script for the Josh Brolin-led Jonah HexCo-direction Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance With former creative partner Mark Neveldine, and co-developing the SYFY adaptation of Happy!

In honor of the movie’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Screen Rant Interviewed creator/co-writer Mike Mignola, co-writer/director Brian Taylor, and stars Jack Casey, Jefferson White and Adeline Rudolph to discuss Hellboy: The Crooked Man. The group opened up about their recent new take on the comic book series, how it will compare to previous adaptations of the source material, and what to expect from their characters.

How to adapt Hellboy from page to screen through a different lens

“We’re working with one of the most beloved, iconic and unique comic books ever.”

Screen Rant: Brian, you’ve adapted other comics, viz Jonah Hex And Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. What lessons have you learned that you can apply to Hellboy: The Crooked Man?

Brian Taylor: There were a lot of things not to do in some of the films, but this one was unique. A lot of times with comic book movies and the like, filmmakers and studios feel it’s their mission to reinvent. “We have to fix it. We want to do our version, and we want to expand it,” and this and that. That was not the mission on the film at all.

On this, my feeling about him was really clear. We are working with one of the most beloved, iconic and unique comic books ever. Our job is to keep it simple, and we really adapt this piece of comic book literature with as much love, attention to detail, and authenticity as we can.

Mike, you are an absolute legend, so I want to thank you for being here. But how does this iteration of Hellboy stand out from others you’ve seen in the past?

Mike Mignola: Well, it’s the most loyal. This is the only one where I was actually co-writing the screenplay. We did the comic and created the Bobby Jo character, but for the most part, it was one story. It’s the opposite of what a lot of people do, which is when you go to the source materials and say, “I want to combine this with this and this and this and this.”

We did that, and we had very loose adaptations, which were cool. I mean, if Del Toro is going to make a movie, you let Del Toro make a Del Toro movie. But this is my favorite Hellboy story, and I didn’t want it to be an independent adaptation. I wanted something that felt like what I love about the comic.

Jack, how do you approach Hellboy and bring a new perspective to the character for the big screen?

Jack Kesy: Not to parrot Brian Taylor, but so much of the groundwork is done for us. We’re going straight out of the comic book, and so much of the crew did so much of the work that went into creating the prosthetics. They made it so that there was no rubber face; I was able to really act, and you can really see my personality – as far as I know. I haven’t seen it yet.

But so much of the work is done. They cast it right, I hope, and there are some nuances here and there. Whenever you can, you bring your own personality and your own choices. But most of the time the man himself said, I’m just a loyal Hellboy.

Get to know the new characters in Hellboy: The Crooked Man

“It was very visceral, and it felt authentic and immersive in the best possible way.”

Jefferson and Adeline, you guys are stepping into the world of Hellboy. What surprised you the most?

Jefferson White: I think something that’s really fun about the process, especially this very beloved, iconic character, but making this movie also really felt like making an indie movie in the woods. It’s Southern Gothic, it’s horror, and it’s the intimate little story. All the joy of indie filmmaking was also present; All the problem solving of figuring it out together. The process of it also felt very familiar. It didn’t feel like this massive, huge IP. It felt very personal. It was a real joy to come into a superhero movie, to feel like, “Wait a second. It feels like we’re making a horror movie with our friends in the woods.” This was a huge gift.

And then the world felt so confused. In this book, there are incredible villains. There is the crooked man, there is Affi Kolb, and the amazing living character, but also the atmosphere itself is a villain – the forest, the church, the cemetery. It was a very immersive filmmaking experience. It was the opposite of a green screen on a sound stage in LA. It was very visceral, and it felt authentic and immersive in the best possible way.

Adeline Rudolph: All of it. And the only thing I will add is that it was a very practical set. That is why it was so surprising, and it was a pleasant surprise. Not a lot of VFX; We tried to keep it real.

What can you tease in particular about your characters?

Jefferson White: I played a guy named Tom Ferrell, who at a young age made a really bad deal and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a lucky bone that he was told [about] at a young age. He fell in love! He was seduced by Effie Kolb, the Timeless Wicked Witch. Tom Ferrell, from misguided love at a young age, sold his soul to the devil, and now he has lived a life some 20-odd years later.

He comes back home because he tried to escape from that past. He comes back home to try to fix it, to talk to the devil again and see if he can negotiate back the lucky bone for his soul. And he very happily stumbles into the two along the way, Hellboy and Bobby Jo.

Adeline Rudolph: Bobbie Jo is a rookie BPRD agent. She works closely with Hellboy. It feels like they just started working together, and then something goes wrong, and they end up going on this big journey. They run into Tom Ferrell and all the other amazing characters. She’s young, she’s curious, and she might be a little in over her head.

What makes Hellboy: The Crooked Man stand out from previous adaptations

At some point, everyone says, “Yeah, we’re going to put your comic on the screen.”

Brian, this film looks like it’s a very different beast from the previous ones. How deliberate was the approach in production?

Brian Taylor: Very deliberate. I mean, it’s a folk horror movie. It’s not a space opera. Jeff said it felt like an indie film, and it was an indie film. I really think that this is so appropriate for the character, because one thing I completely understand about this guy, and as I think he is very unique in the comics world, who else can you say who gave us a whole comic world? Who is a household name and part of the newspaper, but he is not associated with any of the majors [publishers].

This is all from one guy’s brand. He’s an indie creator, so a Hellboy movie should feel like an indie movie. It’s keeping up with the whole body of work.

Mike, why was the crooked man the right villain for this story?

Jefferson White: It’s not that the crooked man was the right villain, but that it was the right story. It’s a self-contained callback to a lot of other stuff, and one thing we looked at was the practical considerations for how to make a relatively small Hellboy movie, which is what I always wanted.

We saw the whole “save the world,” apocalypse thing, and all that stuff. We have seen it. We don’t need to see it again. If you look at Hellboy as just a person, my favorite Hellboy stories are the ones where his life was uncomplicated, and he just stumbled on other people’s problems.

Jack, the film is not too bombastic at all. It’s very grounded. What excited you about taking on the role of Hellboy for this iteration?

Jack Kesy: Exactly. The close collaboration with Brian and making him a more human Hellboy. Aesthetically and personality wise, I would like to see the misfortune in him; The rare hero. He just wants to go to the dance and pick up the girls, but it will be a little difficult for him. So, here we go. “I’ll save the day again, I think I’ll save this one.” He’s just an introverted, reluctant hero with vulnerability. Not too much, but just enough.

Brian Taylor: It’s hard for any young person to find a place in the world, right? Let alone if you have a tail and horns. He carries a lot of baggage and a lot of weight on his shoulders. I love what Jack brings with him because I feel like there’s a lot of that in him.

You feel a lot of soul in this guy. To me, Hellboy has always been characterized as a smart, sarcastic guy. He is these things, but that’s covering something unique, which is that he carries a lot of weight.

Mike, there have been other Hellboy movies in the past, but what surprised you the most about seeing this one come to life?

Mike Mignola: Well, to see how close it was to coming. There are several shots in it that are from panels. And your fear is always, especially when it’s my favorite story, that it’s going to lose something. But all my favorite moments from the comic are there. You hold your breath when you look at this.

I didn’t go on the course, but I saw the diary. You’re just going, “I can’t believe this. Oh my God, it’s in there. Will it stay in there when they cut the movie?” There’s a particular moment in the church that I loved so much, and I thought, “Oh, my God, are they going to add special effects to this?” It’s just a quiet little moment that could easily get cut, but it stayed all the way through.

Not that I didn’t like the other movies or love bits and pieces of the other movies, but I was so grateful to see someone who really wanted to [do the comic]. Because at some point everyone says, “Yeah, we’re going to put your comic on screen.” But this is the time it happened.

About Hellboy: The Crooked Man

From the visionary director, writer and producer Brian Taylor (Crooked, Happy!), the film brings a chilling tale of salvation against the forces of darkness. Set in the 1950s, rookie BPRD agent Bobby Jo Song finds himself in a difficult situation when tasked with delivering a spider to the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. She must get the help of Hellboy to confront the evil Crooked Man, who has returned to Earth to harvest souls for the devil.

Source: Screen Rant Plus