Actress Milla Jovovich is refusing to let the disappointing box office debut of Hellboy dampen her spirits, because she is confident it will become another "cult classic".
The Resident Evil star plays witch Nimue, aka The Blood Queen, in the latest big screen adaptation of Mike Mignola's graphic novel, opposite David Harbour as the titular character, but the reboot was mauled by critics and bombed upon its release, only earning $12 million (£9.2 million) in North America over its opening weekend (12-14Apr19).
However, Milla isn't letting the lackluster reception get her down because all of her previous films have also failed to impress critics - even though they went on to earn cult status among devotees.
"It's always stressful on opening weekend and @hellboymovie is no different," she wrote beside an Instagram selfie. "You work super hard to make something fun and entertaining and have to absorb the negative reviews by movie critics, but hey! THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY.
"All I'm gonna say before going to bed is this: All my raddest (best) films have been slammed by critics. It's f**king hilarious. Dazed and Confused? Seriously? Classic movie. The Fifth Element! You would have thought that was the worst movie ever made if you read the reviews in like '98. Zoolander? Slammed. Joan of Arc? Disaster. Resident Evil? Let's not even go there.
"Anyway, every one of those films is now a cult classic. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. And this will be too. Mark my words."
Milla goes on to list the reasons for her argument, touting the "amazing actors" she got to work with, including Ian McShane and Daniel Dae Kim, and the fact that Mignola personally co-wrote the script.
She also insists Hellboy was "directed by one of the greats" in Neil Marshall, and urges fans not to be discouraged by the poor reviews the film has received to date.
"Trust me, you're gonna have a blast watching the new @hellboymovie," she concluded. "I mean, one critic said 'it's a loud, gory mess only a teenager would love.' HELL yea (sic) Hellboy! Let's have some fun! And with that, I wish you all a good night!"
