The upcoming Hellboy reboot Hellboy: The Crooked Man has found its lead star. Deadline reports that Jack Kesy has just been cast to play Hellboy in the film that's currently in the works at Millennium Media. Kesy has experience in comic book movies, having previously played Black Tom Cassidy in the Marvel sequel Deadpool 2. His other film credits include Baywatch, Death Wish, and The Outpost, and he recently appeared in the movies The Outpost, Dark Web: Cicadia 3301, and Without Remorse. Kesy also previously starred in the FX series The Strain as well as the TNT series Claws.
“Jack Kesy is a dynamic actor who has the ability to morph into his roles," says Millennium Media co-President Jonathan Yunger in a statement. "His talent and stature are perfect for this younger Hellboy. I was very impressed with him while working together on The Outpost."
Directed by Brian Taylor (Crank, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), Hellboy: The Crooked Man will be written by original Hellboy creator Mike Mignola alongside Chris Golden. In the movie, per the report, Hellboy is stranded in the 1950s in rural Appalachia with a rookie BPRD agent when the two "discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past: the Crooked Man." The film is based heavily on the original comic book version of The Crooked Man that was penned by Mignola.
Hellboy: The Crooked Man Brings Something Different to the Franchise
It's just been a few years since the last Hellboy reboot came out in 2019, and some fans may feel that it's too soon to take another crack at the franchise, considering how badly that movie bombed. Others say that the only new Hellboy movie they'd want to see is a third film starring Ron Perlman that's directed by Guillermo del Toro. But Hellboy: The Crooked Man is the first of the movies to include Mignola in its creation. Director Brian Taylor also promises that this new film will bring something new to the screen that wasn't present in the other installments.
"I want fans to know that we're coming at this film, from a place of love for the original material, and for the character, for Mike's character," Taylor said, via Collider. "We’re not trying to reinvent some completely different idea of Hellboy—we’re trying to get back to the feeling of these particular books from the mid-aughts. It’s something that hasn’t been seen on screen before, but it’s a version I think hardcore Hellboy fans will want to see. Anyway, I do."
Production on Hellboy: The Crooked Man will start later this year and additional casting is currently underway. The movie does not yet have a premiere date.