The King Might Get a New Speech, Producer Considering New Edits

[Elizabeth Grunewald]

The King Might Get a New Speech, Producer Considering New Edits

Oscar frontrunner The King's Speech may be subject to additional edits in hopes of obtaining a PG-13 rating and widening its potential audience.

If you haven't seen The King's Speech, first, you're missing out. Second, you may not know why the film is rated R in the United States, which requires anyone under the age of 17 to see the film with a parent or guardian. I'll try to fill you in without spoiling anything: The film features the F-word over a dozen times, in a context that has little to do with the word itself. The scene is beautifully filmed and masterfully acted, but executive producer Harvey Weinstein wants to trim it a bit to appease the Motion Picture Association of America ratings board.

Weinstein is talking to the film's director, Tom Hooper, about how they can reach a compromise for a PG-13 rating. In Britain, The King's Speech has a rating which allows those 12 and over to view it, and the film is doing quite well as a result. Weinstein told The L.A. Times, "The British numbers are huge because the rating lets families see the movie together. Tom and I are trying to find a unique way to do this that keeps his vision of the movie."

The King's Speech was nominated for 12 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The campaign for a new rating exists independently of the awards: The Oscars will be broadcast on February 27, but the proposed edit would be unlikely to hit theaters before that date. Weinstein is also looking to change up the marketing campaign for the film to draw in more viewers. Here, Harvey, I'll try to help: The King's Speech is incredible. I highly recommend it.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/01/kings-speech-may-be-recut-for-lower-rating-gets-new-ad-campaign-following-oscar-nominations.html]

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[Senaro]

Screw censorship. I want to see this movie in it's intended glory. If anything, just make sure the original version is just as easily available as the censored one.

 

[Woodsey]

When I was 13, no one was saying 'fuck' at all, no sir-ee, definitely not.

 

[KeyMaster45]

I think it would be a damn shame to censor the movie. (call it editing if you want but he wants to censor his film) I honestly don't think it would do anything for its sales over here in the states and would only serve to give us a butchered version. I imagine if it's doing well in the UK that they've already made their budget back plus more so the point now would be to what, milk more money out of it?

Also if there's one thing he doesn't have to worry about over here its R rated movies not being a family experience. I've spent one to many evenings in the theater having to put up with people who brought their toddlers, infants, and eight-year-olds.(had the pleasure of sitting behind a couple who's infant soiled itself 5 minutes into the last exorcism and they refused to change its diaper, I was very pleased when management gave them the boot.) That's a whole separate set of issues for me to gripe about though. At any rate the movie doesn't seem like it would appeal to a family audience here in the states, kids are a still begging their parents to take them to see the Yogi Bear movie.(Dan Akroyd should be ashamed)

tl;dr : It's an Oscar film, it's going to have a small crowd of people actually interested in it here in the states. Censoring it will only harm the film and won't help milk more money out of us stateside so long as atrocities like Yogi 3D are still playing.

 

[lee1287]

How can it be good? Colin Firth learnign to not stutter? Blah!

 

[Broken Orange]

How can it be good? Colin Firth learnign to not stutter? Blah!

You would be surprised.

Of course, there isn't any explosions, naked ladies, or exploding naked ladies. Despite that, this is a well acted movie that everyone should atempt to watch.

With that said, this movie isn't for everyone. Yet, everyone should see it.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

While not statistically significant I work at a Cinema, and the King's Speech has been virtually sold out every night, but I've hardly seen anyone younger than 18 come to see it.

It is a very good film, and removing the Swearing scene wouldn't hurt the film too much I suppose.

 

[LawyerScumGhost]

We train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write "fuck" on their airplanes...because it's obscene! -Col. Kurtz

 

[cairocat]

The fact that the movie had the balls to have that in the first place was a charming and bold move that made me respect the makers of the film more as ones who would not hold back their artistic vision because of petty censorship.

Oops, I guess I need to retract that.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Does an R rating actually stop anyone from seeing a movie in any significant amount ?

 

[Blind Sight]

Oh come on, I never saw royalty swear until this movie. It was great, the atmosphere was fantastic and they really paid attention to every little historical detail. Although the guy who played Winston Churchill was hamming it up a bit too much for my tastes.

 

[Live4Lotus]

An R rating means that the entire mormon church won't go.

LoL...my spellchecker is giving me problems with "mormon" it thinks that I meant to type "moron"...it isn't too far off.

 

[Trogdor1138]

Weinstein! I fucking knew it... He's the resident asshole of the film industry.

 

[BrotherRool]

Just a correction, the rating 12A in Britain (We have no 12) means that anyone can see it, but those under 12 have to be accompanied by adults and the content isn't necessarily suitable

 

[Labcoat Samurai]

Perhaps I'm not being fair to younger audiences, but I'm not sure quite what the point of this would be. Certainly there will be some young people who want to watch it, but they can already go with their parents, and I'm having a hard time imagining groups of high schoolers deciding that they just *have* to see this film.

And for people like me? Fuck that noise. If the film is as good as the reviews say, the last thing I want is to watch a butchered version of it. The original had better still be available once I get around to seeing this.