- ❝ When Heaven can't help, Hell's finest step in.❞
- ―The tagline of the film.
Hazbin Hotel vs. Helluva Boss is a 2021 live-action/adult animated action comedy film co-written and directed by Blake Edmonds. An international co-production between the United States, France and Hong Kong, the film is a crossover between Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss, both created by Vivienne Medrano, and was the first film in both of the franchises to be rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association. It stars Cillian Murphy, Domhnall Gleeson, Jay Chou, Shu Qi, Olivier Rabourdin, Camille Japy, Tom Wilkinson, Daniel Radcliffe and Tchéky Karyo.
In the film, when British ambassador Richard "Dick" Beaman (Wilkinson) and French ambassador Olivier Le Corre (Karyo) uncover an ancient artifact capable of merging Hell and Earth, their plans spark a global chase involving FBI agents, international detectives, and the devilish crews of the Hazbin Hotel and the Immediate Murder Professionals (I.M.P.). Reluctantly teaming up, the humans and demons race across Hong Kong, Paris, and New York to stop the ambassadors from unleashing chaos, battling mercenaries, supernatural threats, and their own clashing personalities.
The film premiered in Paris on July 14, 2021, and was released by A24 in the United States on July 20, with 20th Century Studios, through Buena Vista International, handling international distribution. While it was met with mixed reviews from critics who praised Edmonds' direction, screenplay, performances and the animation but criticized the runtime, it was met with positive reception from audiences. It grossed $70 million against a reported $45 million budget in the box office.
Plot[]
In 1945, amid the chaos in the war-torn Nazi Germany during the last days of World War II, a mysterious artifact—an ancient demonic scepter known as the Infernal Nexus—is stolen by Richard "Dick" Beaman's ancestor, an ambitious officer in the British forces. The artifact is believed to grant its wielder the ability to manipulate both Hell and Earth, creating a connection between the two realms. The scepter vanishes after a ritual goes awry, seemingly lost to time.
In present-day Hong Kong, Richard "Dick" Beaman, now a cunning British ambassador to France and Hong Kong, has discovered the location of the Infernal Nexus. He schemes to use its powers to solidify his dominance in global politics. Assisting him is Olivier Le Corre, a French ambassador with his own nefarious ambitions. Both men share a history of corruption and seek to rewrite the balance of power between humanity and the underworld.
FBI special agents Ethan Briggs and Brian Connolly, seasoned but out-of-their-depth investigators, are assigned to Beaman's case after strange supernatural disturbances are reported in Hong Kong. They team up with Hong Kong detectives Robert and Julia Mak, whose resourcefulness complements the FBI’s firepower. Meanwhile, French officers Grégory and Josephine Le Corre, Olivier's estranged adult children, join the hunt, adding their wit and cunning to the international pursuit.
In Hell, the search for the artifact triggers a chaotic chain reaction. Charlie and her crew at the Hazbin Hotel learn that Beaman's meddling threatens Hell's stability. At the same time, Stolas, a demon prince, realizes the artifact could jeopardize his control over certain celestial alignments. To complicate matters, the Immediate Murder Professionals (I.M.P.)—Blitzo, Moxxie, Millie, and Loona—are hired to assassinate Beaman, unaware of the artifact's existence.
The Hazbin Hotel crew and the I.M.P. collide when they independently infiltrate a gala in Paris, where Beaman and Olivier plan to auction off the artifact to rogue factions. The clash between the two teams results in a hilariously chaotic brawl, with Alastor and Blitzo trading insults while Angel Dust flirts shamelessly with everyone, much to Vaggie's exasperation. The humans, led by Briggs, Connolly, and the Maks, interrupt the chaos and reluctantly convince the demons to work together.
The teams discover Mark Beaman, Richard's rebellious but conflicted son, who hints at his father's true intentions: unleashing Hell on Earth to create a new global order. Stolas reveals the artifact’s apocalyptic potential, forcing the demons to set aside their egos to prevent a catastrophe.
The unlikely alliance embarks on a globetrotting chase from the bustling streets of Hong Kong to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and finally to the bustling metropolis of New York City. Along the way, they face ambushes by demonic mercenaries, Olivier’s high-tech goons, and increasingly bizarre supernatural obstacles.
A high-speed gondola chase happens through Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour, where Millie and Moxxie display their combat prowess while Charlie struggles to keep the peace, followed by a wild escape through the catacombs of Paris, with Loona and Octavia bonding over their mutual disdain for their respective teams’ antics, and finally a climactic showdown atop the Statue of Liberty, where Beaman and Olivier unleash the scepter's powers, creating a rift between Hell and Earth.
With time running out, the teams pull off a coordinated assault. Charlie appeals to Beaman's humanity, while Stolas uses his celestial knowledge to neutralize the artifact. The I.M.P. wreak havoc on Olivier’s forces, and the human agents deliver justice in a spectacularly comedic yet action-packed finale. Beaman, overwhelmed by guilt after Mark disowns him, sacrifices himself to destroy the artifact, closing the Hell-Earth rift. Olivier is arrested by his adult children, Grégory and Josephine.
With the crisis averted, the humans and demons share a bittersweet goodbye, though not without some final banter. The Hazbin crew returns to Hell, debating whether they’re now heroes. The I.M.P. celebrates their success with an over-the-top party, and Stolas and Octavia share a rare moment of father-daughter bonding.
Cast[]
- Cillian Murphy as FBI Special Agent Ethan Briggs
- Domhnall Gleeson as FBI Special Agent Brian Connolly
- Jay Chou as Detective Robert Mak
- Shu Qi as Detective Julia Mak
- Olivier Rabourdin as Detective Superintendent Grégory Le Corre
- Camille Japy as Detective Inspector Josephine Le Corre
- Tom Wilkinson as Richard "Dick" Beaman, the main antagonist of the film who is the British ambassador to France and Hong Kong
- Daniel Radcliffe as Mark Beaman, the son of Richard Beaman
- Tchéky Karyo as Olivier Le Corre, the secondary antagonist who is the French ambassador
Voice cast[]
Hazbin Hotel[]
- Jill Harris as Charlie Magne
- Monica Franco as Vaggie
- Edward Bosco as Alastor
- Mick Lauer as Husk
- Michelle Marie as Niffty
- Michael Kovach as Angel Dust
- Krystal LaPorte as Cherri Bomb
Helluva Boss[]
- Brandon Rogers as Blitzo Buckzo
- Richard Steven Horvitz as Moxxie Knolastname
- Vivian Nixon as Millie Knolastname
- Erica Lindbeck as Loona Buckzo
- Bryce Pinkham as Stolas Goetia
- Barrett Wilbert Weed as Octavia Goetia
See also[]
- Hazbin Hotel vs. Helluva Boss/Awesome
- Hazbin Hotel vs. Helluva Boss/Funny
- Hazbin Hotel vs. Helluva Boss/International dubs
- Hazbin Hotel vs. Helluva Boss/Tropes