Hellboy has been torn apart by critics and the signs are all pointing to the movie being a flop when it smashes its way into theaters this weekend. Now, The Wrap reports that a series of disagreements between director Neil Marshall and two of the movie's producers - Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin - could be what led to it being such a mess.
Levin's attorney has denied all of the site's claims and said that their story appeared
"to be shaping up as a puff-piece for Mr. Marshall while tarnishing 'Hellboy' and my client."
It's said that Marshall was frequently undermined by the producers on set, as they would give different orders to the cast. Star David Harbour, meanwhile, repeatedly walked off set and refused Marshall's request for more takes. It's also said that he and co-star Ian McShane were among those who rewrote scenes while shooting was taking place.
Bizarrely, one of the biggest disputes reportedly came over the appearance of a tree that factors heavily into
Hellboy's plot. Marshall wanted it to look realistic while the producers insisted on it being asymmetrical, and they got their way during post-production.
That would make sense, too, as the producers took over once Marshall handed his cut in and the attorney admits that the filmmaker was never promised final cut on the movie. Needless to say, it seems as if the blame game has begun and this is unlikely to help the critically panned - and soon to be commercially disappointing - reboot.
Hit the "View List" button below to check out some hi-res Hellboy stills!