LOS ANGELES, March 9 (UPI) -- "The Passion of the Christ," the top-grossing R rated movie ever, is returning to theaters unrated, the Los Angeles Times reorted Wednesday.
is returning to theaters with much of the violence edited out represents a roll of the dice by the distributor, coming to theaters this week is a roll became the top grossing R-rated film ever with $611 million in worldwide box office receipts. Now, Newmarket Films is rolling the dice on an unrated version.
Aimed at those who were kept away by the movie's graphic material, "The Passion Recut" is due out in 950 theaters on Friday, in advance of the Easter holiday. Gibson had hoped that a seven-minute cut would bring him a PG-13 rating. But his Icon Productions was informed by the Motion Picture Assn. of America in January that the film was still too intense for young people.
While R-rated films have gone out unrated on DVD, this is believed to be the first time that one has been re-released in theaters without a rating -- a marketing move designed to distinguish it from the original.
"This can be tricky," conceded Newmarket President Bob Berney. "It's hard to know the commercial impact .... We have to fight the perception that 'unrated' means more graphic. The 'Recut' release is admittedly experimental. Who knows whether people who've seen 'The Passion' or bought the DVD will turn out? Realistically, the movie should play a few weeks beyond Easter. We think it will do some business, but nobody knows how much."
In "Recut," Gibson excised some of the scourging scenes from the story -- the tale of the last hours of Christ -- as well as graphic images of the crucifixion. Different camera angles and long shots have also been inserted. Rather than depicting the nails penetrating Christ's body, for example, the film has a shot of a hammer coming down. The film's website (www.thepassionrecut.com) posted a statement from Gibson, a portion of which is featured in the print ads: "By softening some of its more wrenching aspects, I hope to make my film and its message of love available to a wider audience."
John Fithian, president of the National Assn. of Theatre Owners, said that the major studios are contractually prohibited by the Motion Picture Assn. of America from releasing unrated movies. The option is available to independent distributors such as Newmarket Films, but it is not without risk, he noted.
"Some theater chains will not play unrated movies," Fithian said. "And the companies that will are going to enforce this movie as an R rating -- refusing to sell tickets to children under the age of 17 unless accompanied by a parent or guardian."
(LA Times)
