Hellboy Reboot Praised As Fun And Incredibly Violent After First Test Screening

Legendary AF.

That’s the evocative tagline tethered to Lionsgate and Neill Marshall’s Hellboy reboot, which features Stranger Things veteran David Harbour front and center as Big Red. It’s shaping up to be quite the departure from Guillermo Del Toro’s beloved brace of fantasy-fueled epics; for one, the Hellboy of 2019 is said to be gloriously violent, all the while retaining that demonic sense of fun that ensured Mike Mignola’s comic book series became an instant classic.

So as we await Lionsgate’s R-rated reimagining with fervent glee, prominent YouTuber and film critic Mr. H (h/t Dread Central) has relayed an update from the Hellboy test screening in Los Angeles. And it’s very, very good news for fans of the horned demon.

Citing a trusted source who was able to attend the screening, Mr. H has informed his followers that, yes, Hellboy is “incredibly violent,” and there was even praise for David Harbour as the titular character. The supporting cast, one comprised of Ian McShane, Sasha Lane and Milla Jovovich of Resident Evil, all scored points as well, with McShane (Game of Thrones, John Wick) being the one true standout. Not that we’re surprised, mind you, given the industry legend has always been a bankable supporting player.

While this is all incredibly exciting, we should stress that a film’s test screening isn’t necessarily indicative of the final product, as Marshall and his editing team will likely continue to fine-tune their Hellboy reimagining right up until the 11th hour. The release date has been set for April 12th, though, so we can’t imagine there’ll be too much to change…