Hellboy 2019 Director Gives Thoughtful Response To Recent Netflix Success: "It'll Never Be My Favorite Film..."

Hellboy 2019 Director Gives Thoughtful Response To Recent Netflix Success: “It’ll Never Be My Favorite Film…”


Summary

  • Neil Marshall reflects on 2019’s
    Hellboy
    , admitting it’s not his favorite, but is glad people are enjoying it.
  • David Harbour has also previously candidly reflected on his experience with the reboot, describing it as a learning curve for his future superhero roles, including Red Guardian in the MCU.
  • Hellboy: The Crooked Man
    can learn from the 2019 reboot’s missteps by focusing on practical effects and an R-rated tone.



As the franchise gears up to return with a second reboot, Neil Marshall reflects on 2019’s Hellboy and its recent Netflix success. The previous reboot saw David Harbour take over the titular role from Ron Perlman in Guillermo del Toro’s acclaimed first two movies, teaming up with a powerful young medium and hot-headed B.P.R.D. agent to take down a British sorceress from the Dark Ages revived by a pig-like fairy. While the practical make-up and Harbour’s performance scored some positive reception, Hellboy was a critical and commercial failure on release, barely recouping its $50 million production budget.

During a recent interview with Screen Rant for his upcoming crime thriller Duchess, Marshall was asked about Hellboy‘s recent surge in popularity on Netflix, including landing on the streamer’s Top 10 in March. The director humorously affirmed that the 2019 reboot will “never be my favorite film” of his, and admits to having trouble disassociating his difficult behind-the-scenes experience from the belated following its finding, but is glad there are people who are enjoying it. See what Marshall shared below:


I have seen the trailer, but I think it would be be unfair of me to pass any kind of comments on somebody else’s version of Hellboy at this stage, given all the s–t that I got for it. [Laughs] I think it’s great that it’s finding an audience, that my one is finding an audience now. I was in Spain last weekend for a film festival, and they screened Hellboy there in Spanish, and the audience loved it. I had lots of people coming up and saying they wanted my autograph and signing Hellboy stuff. So, I guess it’s building a fan base over time. It’ll never be my favorite film of my body of work, but I’m glad that people like it, for sure. I mean, as a filmmaker, it’s difficult to disassociate the experience of making it with the finished product. But, you know, if people see the finished product and take it at face value, and they enjoy it, great for them. I’m very happy.



How Hellboy: The Crooked Man Can Learn From The 2019 Reboot’s Missteps

Marshall isn’t the only creative involved with the 2019 Hellboy reboot who has candidly reflected on making the movie, with Harbour also frequently lamenting his experience with the project. In addition to humorously stating he looks at a framed photo of his character to keep him humble, Harbour has also described his Marvel Cinematic Universe role of Red Guardian as something of a “palate cleanser“. The star even recalled reaching out to Ryan Reynolds for advice, given the actor also went through a similar situation on Green Lantern before finding success with the Deadpool movies.


Related

5 Reasons Hellboy: The Crooked Man Will Be Better Than The 2019 Reboot

After 2019’s Hellboy failed commercially, the franchise is getting rebooted once again, but a few details hint that it could be much better.

In the wake of its poor performance, a new incarnation of the iconic franchise is in development with Hellboy: The Crooked Man, a second reboot with creator Mike Mignola onboard as both a co-writer and executive producer. Despite the 2019 movie’s missteps, though, there are a number of things The Crooked Man can take away from it to put the series back on track. One of the biggest is the R-rated tone, which many reviewers felt to be a bold enough swing to set it apart from del Toro’s movies.


The other key lesson The Crooked Man should take away from 2019’s Hellboy is its focus on practical designs for the majority of its supernatural creatures. Del Toro took a similar approach to his adaptations, something he’s done throughout his filmography, though Marshall’s movie felt like it nicely established its own tone and world with its haunting designs for the likes of Baba Yaga and others. With Hellboy: The Crooked Man taking a more grounded and horror-driven approach than prior installments, it would be appropriate for co-writer/director Brian Taylor to capitalize with both an R-rated tone and practical effects to create its titular antagonist and other threats.


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