Dealing with a box office bust can be hard.
Speaking with GQ, “Stranger Things” star David Harbour opened up about how he dealt with his 2019 superhero reboot “Hellboy” flopping.
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“It was a very difficult experience because I wanted a lot out of it. I really like [Mike Mignola, ‘Hellboy’ creator], I like that character,” he said. “And then immediately when it began, even when it was announced, I realised that people did not want that character reinvented. I was very naive and optimistic about what we were going to do.”
Made for $50 million, the film ended up grossing only $55 million worldwide, and when that happened, Harbour turned to none other than Ryan Reynolds.
“I know him a little bit. I called him and I was like, Hey man, I just need to know something. You know ‘Green Lantern’? Huge flop for you. What the f**k is that like, because I think I’m going to hit that right now,” he recalled. “Am I gonna be okay? Am I gonna survive this?”
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Harbour said Reynolds was “sweet” about it, but didn’t actually reveal what advice he gave him.
Though Reynolds later found success with “Deadpool”, his first experience leading a superhero blockbuster with “Green Lantern” did not go well at all.
After years in development, the film, which cost roughly $200 million to make, only grossed about $220 million worldwide, and was criticized for everything from its writing to its digital effects, killing any chance at a sequel.
