‘Deadpool 2’ Test Screenings Did Even Better Than the First
Test screenings are a good way for Hollywood to gauge how much audiences will connect with a movie before that movie is officially released. Sometimes that means changing up the film or adding in a ton of reshoots to make it better, and sometimes a studio is blessed with a movie that’s perfect from the outset. Deadpool 2, which doesn’t arrive until May, has already scored higher with test audiences than the first movie, earning a 98 at its final screenings in Dallas.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Deadpool 2 was screened three times, earning a 91 and a 97 at its first two and a 98 at its last. Insiders tell THR that the highest Deadpool ever scored was a 91 — and it went on to become the highest grossing X-Men movie ever and ushered in a new era of R-rated superhero movies. Studios ask test audiences to rate movies on a scale from excellent to very good, good, fair, and poor, and also conduct followup questionnaires to discuss what people liked or didn’t like about the movies. Deadpool 2 just completed six days of reshoots last month to add in more stuff that test audiences liked in the first two screenings, plus two hours of work on Hollywood for a secret cameo.
A THR source in the audience of the final test screening described the atmosphere as “electric” and “akin to watching the Super Bowl.” Deadpool 2 opens in theaters May 18.