It’s not common to see a character’s history on the big screen as complicated as Hellboy‘s, but the hero’s comeback is closer than ever, as Hellboy: The Crooked Man has officially wrapped production. The announcement came from Mike Mignola, who created the character, using his Instagram account to share his excitement for the project with the world. Brian Taylor was in charge of directing the latest attempt at launching a franchise based on Mignola‘s work, focusing on a younger version of the demon compared to previous cinematic iterations.

Jack Kesy will portray the lonely protagonist in the new movie, and the horror elements related to the world of the character in the comic will serve as the main inspiration for the story. Added to that, you can expect to see plenty of intense sequences, as it has been previously reported that the project will be aiming to become an R-rated release. As of right now, the studio hasn’t determined if the new Hellboy story will be shown in theatres, or if it will go straight to a streaming service’s library. However, with filming already completed, it won’t be long before more details are shared as the post-production process begins.

The film will deal with Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent as they get stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. They will discover a small community haunted by witches, led by the Crooked Man, and you can bet that the ensuing conflict will be a feast for the eye. The new setting, added to a younger version of the character taking the lead opens up a bunch of doors when it comes to storytelling possibilities. A release date hasn’t been set for the upcoming adventure but, since production has wrapped, it might be safe to say that The Crooked Man could be released sometime next year.

The Last Attempt at a Hellboy Reboot

As previously stated, despite his comically large weapons, Hellboy hasn’t had an illustrious career on the big screen. The last time the studio tried to launch a franchise with everyone’s favorite half-Demon at the center of it turned out to be quite a failure. Despite starring David Harbour in the titular role, the 2019 movie received a lot of negative reviews, while failing to perform successfully at the box office. Hopefully, the new creative team behind The Crooked Man will have enough ideas to create a version of this world that can be universally beloved, setting the stage for the long-desired Hellboy franchise to entertain audiences for years to come.

via Collider