Denzel Washington’s new movie scores poor test screening reactions

Denzel Washington is both one of the greatest actors and most popular movie stars of the modern era, boasting a consistent track record of box office success that makes him the envy of his peers, while he’s also got two Academy Award wins from eight nominations under his belt.

While his on-camera resume is impeccable, his directorial career has been much more muted so far. That’s not to say his output has been terrible, but it’s definitely been distinctly more low-key. Antwone Fisher, The Great Debaters and Fences were all intimate character-driven pieces, and the latter was the only one that caught on in a major way after landing four Oscar nominations, with Viola Davis walking away as Best Supporting Actress.

His next feature A Journal for Jordan comes to theaters on Christmas Day, with Michael B. Jordan starring in the lead role as Sergeant Charles Monroe King, who keeps a diary for his newborn son while stationed overseas in what’s been positioned as a tear-jerking potential awards season contender.

However, World of Reel reports that a test screening was held a couple of weeks back, and the results were said to be mediocre to the point of outright negativity. If that turns out to be the case, then it’s a real shame, because the combination of director and star had A Journal for Jordan shaping up to be a worthwhile trip to the theater.