Lionsgate’s recent “Hellboy” reboot is nothing short of a monumental disaster. With a modest budget (by comic book film standards) of only $50 million, the new film didn’t have to make $1 billion to be deemed a huge success. However, after its domestic run, the film is now sitting at a dismal $21 million. Combined with the terrible 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling that critics generally disliked the film, “Hellboy” is not going to be the highlight of star David Harbour’s IMDB.
That being said, the actor recently told Digital Spy that he thinks the film was judged a bit too harshly. While he doesn’t go all the way to say that the film is great, he says that “Hellboy” has received some unfair comparisons to other comic book films, namely those by Marvel Studios.
“We did our best, but there’s so many voices that go into these things and they’re not always going to work out,” he said. “I did what I could do and I feel proud of what I did, but ultimately I’m not in control of a lot of those things.”
Harbour is alluding to issues that have bee covered before, with reports discussing on-set issues between the star and the film’s director Neil Marshall. Plus, there are reports that the director was all-but-exiled from the editing bay during post-production.
“The problem that I have with comic book movies nowadays is that I think, and it’s a result of the power of Marvel stuff, it’s like chocolate, it’s a flavor,” Harbour said.
READ MORE: Neil Marshall’s Edgelordy ‘Hellboy’ Is A Dreadful, Juvenile Mess [Review]
He added, “And I sort of want a world where there’s more flavors than just comparisons to chocolate. So in that way when ‘Hellboy’ is viewed on the chocolate spectrum, it does very poorly. That being said, it also has major problems.”
Major problems aside, the actor thinks there are situations where someone might enjoy “Hellboy.” You know, when you’re able to watch at home, likely buzzing from some sort of alcohol or another substance, or when you’re confined to a small space flying thousands of feet above the ground, with no other options to turn to. Those types of situations.
“I think as a rental or as a movie that you see on an airplane, I think you’d be like, ‘Oh that was fun’ because it’s a fun movie, and I think it was unfairly bludgeoned as a result of these comparisons.”
Well, fair or not, “Hellboy” has been judged, and it didn’t turn out too well for the demon. That being said, much like the first “Hellboy,” directed by Guillermo del Toro, perhaps Harbour’s film can find a second life on home release. Even if it does, you probably shouldn’t hold your breath for a sequel.
