New Hellboy movie making surprise move of skipping theaters and heading straight to digital

The next installment in the Hellboy franchise, The Crooked Man, seems to be bypassing theaters in the US and heading straight to digital. 

While the movie is getting a theatrical release in the UK, it looks like you’ll be able to watch it on VOD in the US from October 8 at 12am ET, or 9pm PT on October 7 (H/T ComicBook.com). It seems the US won’t be getting a theatrical release at all. 

The Crooked Man stars Jack Kesy as Hellboy, with the rest of the cast including Jefferson White, Joseph Marcell, Martin Bassindale, Leah McNamara, Adeline Rudolph, Hannah Margetson, Nathan Cooper, and Carola Colombo. Brian Taylor directs a script co-written by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, with Christopher Golden, and Taylor himself. 

“I don’t think in terms of ‘it’s a reboot’ or trying to start a new franchise – this isn’t content, it’s a movie that needs to stand on its own,” Taylor recently told our sister publication Total Film. “Nobody wants to see a cheap knock-off of a Guillermo del Toro $100-million movie. This is going back to the young Hellboy where he was really more of the plumber who’s going to fix your monster problem. This wandering, sarcastic, soulful, smoking guy who stumbles on supernatural hauntings and occurrences and helps out as best he can. If Mike feels like for the first time he sees his guy on screen, then I feel like we’ve succeeded.”

If you’re wondering if the new movie is worth checking out on VOD, our own three star Hellboy: The Crooked Man review verdict reads: “Hellboy: The Crooked Man embraces the comics’ folk-horror vibe but the balance of atmosphere and ass-kicking is slightly off.”

You can watch The Crooked Man in UK theaters this September 27. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the other upcoming major movie release dates of the year to fill out your watchlist.