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David Harbour asked Ryan Reynolds for advice when Hellboy flopped

David Harbour called Ryan Reynolds on the day his Hellboy reboot was released in 2019 to ask for advice on surviving a 'huge flop'

David Harbour in Hellboy

David Harbour’s first big post-Stranger Things starring role in a movie wasn’t quite everything he hoped it would be. He was the lead in a Hellboy reboot which was released in 2019, and you’ve probably forgotten it existed until we mentioned it just now.

Speaking to GQ, Harbour says; “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. 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.” The two Hellboy movies released by Guillermo del Toro in 2004 and 2008 were a critical success.

The day the reboot was released into theatres, and it became apparent that it was going to bomb, Harbour called 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 fuck is that like, because I think I’m going to hit that right now. Am I gonna be okay? Am I gonna survive this?” Reynolds, for his part, was “sweet” about it.

We do like the fact that Reynolds is Hollywood’s go-to guy if your movie is bombing. Reynolds – Prince of Turkeys. Just as Reynolds bounced back, so too has Harbour, with roles in Netflix action movie Extraction, Soderbergh’s No Sudden Movie, and playing Natasha’s father in Black Widow. He is currently starring in a West End play that deals with mental health issues “inspired by his own bouts with self-described madness.”

Harbour is obviously currently celebrating the release of the final two episodes of Stranger Things season four and doesn’t know how they will top it in the fifth and final season.

If you’re excited about Stranger Things, check out our guide to the best sci-fi series.