An NC-17 rating from the MPAA, apparently. Sharon Waxman is reporting that the film's first submission to the parent-stacked movie-vetting org earned it the most cautionary of viewer guidelines, thanks to some extremely graphic sex. There's still the prospect that the film could trim some of its more incendiary parts and snag an R -- as a Universal spokesperson said to The Wrap: "It is far too early to say that there is any struggle to get there [to an R] as the process is only at its inception." But apparently the MPAA is historically very vague about what specific measures films must take to in order to move down the scale.
Why does this matter? The financial reward for being less offensive is vast -- with an NC-17, the box-office loot could be significantly less. "Borat," which cost only $18 million to make, had a worldwide haul of over $260 million, and Universal's hopes are high for Sacha Baron Cohen's sophomore effort.
Stay tuned for this developing story (the movie is slated for a July 10 release). And in the meantime, one of my personal favorite Bruno scenes, from way back from the Ali G days, is above -- and no worries, it's benign.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
