Hellboy: The Crooked Man: Ketchup Entertainment snags the rights to the latest reboot

Fans eager to give Hellboy another chance on the silver screen rejoice! Ketchup Entertainment snagged the rights to Millennium Media‘s Hellboy: The Crooked Man, starring Jack Kesy as the kitten-loving, pancake-eating demon with an attitude and guns under his trenchcoat. Brian Taylor (Gamer, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Crank: High Voltage) directs from a script by Christopher Golden, inspired by the Dark Horse comic book series created by Mike Mignola.

In Hellboy: The Crooked Man, Big Red and a rookie BRPD agent become stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia, only to discover a small community haunted by witches, led by the Crooked Man. “According to local legend, Jeremiah Witkins was one of the first settlers in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia,” says the Hellboy Wiki about the Crooked Man. “He built his house in an area called The Hurricane. He was also one of the worst men in his lifetime, amassing his fortune from the misery of others. Stirring conflict between his fellow settlers and the native tribes, he sold liquor and guns to both sides, during both the American Revolution and the Civil War. Witkins was eventually hanged for his crimes, and his fortune was dispersed to the winds, but his name and memory became cursed among the locals. However, because of his impressive record of sin, “the Devil” sent Witkins back to the mortal world as a demonic soul collector.”

“We are very excited by this latest acquisition, this film holds a special place in the hearts of fans worldwide and we are committed to preserving and building its legacy as we bring the film to fans and new audiences,” said Ketchup Entertainment CEO Gareth West. “We are confident that our collaboration with Jeffrey Greenstein and the exceptional team at Millennium Media will enable us to achieve just that.”

Jefferson White, Adeline Rudolph, Joseph Marcell, Leah McNamara, Hannah Margetson, and Martin Bassindale join Kesy as primary cast members.

“At a time when content is never more in demand, it’s exciting to partner with a group who is not only passionate about movies, but who are also stepping up to distribute the types of commercial films that we believe audiences crave. Despite all of the changes in the marketplace, it’s refreshing to start building a pipeline with Ketchup and we are excited to build upon this first film together,” said Greenstein about partnering with Ketchup Entertainment.

While 2019’s Hellboy reboot failed to connect with most fans of the franchise, the character remains a beloved part of pop culture, with cinephiles wanting nothing more than a reason to celebrate Big Red’s return to the silver screen. Missteps aside, Hellboy’s world is overflowing with potential, beloved characters, strange creatures, and stories worth adapting to screens. Here’s hoping Hellboy’s next big screen adventure is a return to form and something worth selling our souls to see.