'Hellboy' Reboot Test Screening Draws Positive Review

Prior to its debut next spring, Lionsgate has begun screening their Hellboy reboot to test audiences looking for ways to improve the movie as much as they can before its release. YouTube channel Mr. H Reviews spoke with somebody who's attended one of the recent test screenings and according to the video review posted, the movie was a good time.

Mr. H explains that his source describes the Neil Marshall-helmed flick as an incredibly violent, hard-R movie that stays true to the characters comic book mythos. While they describe Milla Jovovich's Blood Queen as cliche, the review says that Stranger Things star David Harbour gives a "great performance" while American Gods alum Ian McShane is a standout.

Perhaps most importantly, the movie is reportedly sure to not take itself too seriously, creating a fun watch for fans of genre films.

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola also served as one of the screenwriters on this property. When asked why they choose to reboot the property after two movies starring Ron Perlman, Mignola says it wasn't a decision that was taken lightly.

"We went back and forth on that," Mignola said. "Early on there was some idea of continuing the storyline that del Toro had started but would that be fair to a new director? So we decided to just start over. Neil is a horror director, so the idea then was to make a darker film. If you are going to use a guy, let him do what he does best. So we went through the script taking out the del Toro-isms and in some ways go out of our way to make sure we are doing a different Hellboy with its own distinct character [as a project] but still adhering to the comics."

Hellboy stars Harbour, McShane, Jovovich, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim, Brian Gleeson, Sophie Okonedo, Penelope Mitchell, and Alistair Petrie. Mignola was joined in the writer's room by Andrew Cosby, Christopher Golden, and Aron Coleite. Lawrence Gordon, Lloyd Levin, and Mike Richardson produced the film.

Does the positive review stoke your excitement for the Hellboy reboot even further? How do you think Stranger Things alum David Harbour will do as the titular character? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Hellboy opens in theaters on April 12, 2019.