Screenwriting : R-Rated Movies by James Bat Wilkinson

You're asking a bigger cast & crew to work extra/ pay them across the board.

But then you have two products to sell. And the r-rated version could be longer than the clean version. The clean version could have some scenes removed or a different version of the same scene.

Correction: Of 449 films released in 2022, 110 carried an R rating. That's about 25%. Hardly "most". Around 70 traditional kids films were released last year. That's more than one a week.

Conversely, why not take Christian films and sex and violence them up. Why go out to a mall when there are home theaters one can program themself. No one is forced to watch anything.

Not in agreement because it makes little business sense to craft or shoot/edit two screenplays. But mostly because OP reeks of Christian agenda.

James Bat Wilkinson From a production standpoint, I agree with Dan MaxXx. From a writer standpoint, writing a clean version and a R-rated version could be smart marketing wise (as you said, "But then you have two products to sell"). I wrote a script that took place in China and another version that took place in the U.S. I was marketing both. Writing two versions takes extra time though.

I accept your correction. There are eleven new movies near my house, six are R and 5 are pg-13 or pg.

I should have said roughly half of the new movies near my house are R. I'm on the outside looking in and It seems logical that offering two versions would mean more revenue. Not talking about catering to any group. Talking about trying to create a larger paying public.

I read this online.

To those over 17, movie ratings aren’t much of a concern. But to Hollywood studios, movie ratings are extremely important to how a movie might perform at the box office.

So even if a director makes an R-rated feature, a studio might decide to cut sexual and violent content in order to ensure the movie is given a PG-13 rating from the MPAA.

While film fans might scoff at the idea of a movie studio cutting a film to achieve a lower rating, the studios have data that backs up that PG-13-rated movies have the potential to make more money than R-rated movies.

For example, eight of the top 10 all-time highest-grossing films at the U.S. box office were rated PG-13, and no R-rated film cracks the top 25 (the highest-grossing R-rated movie ever was 2006's The Passion of the Christ, which grossed $370.7 at the U.S. box office).

Considering there are millions of moviegoers under 17 years old and parents generally feel more comfortable bringing their children to PG-13 movies rather than R-rated movies (demonstrated by the petition that asked 20th Century Fox to release a PG-13 version of Deadpool for younger fans), those box office figures make sense.

Someone doesn't like violence, nudity, foul language....just doesn't have to watch such movies, simple as that...any person, anywhere, keen to any religion with solid emotional IQ can understand the meaning of word "entertainment"....

Not disputing that, agree one hundred percent. Talking about getting product in front of more people with money.

Currently half. A track over a year makes a report accurate. Movie attendance took a nosedive due to Covid. It has recovered to only half pre-pandemic levels. The last biz I would get into now is building a movie theater. AMC is closing a number of them. So much for going to the movies.

Of course it's talk of catering to a group. Christians were highlighted. It's not like Christians don't like sex. How would there be little Christians without it. Violence is far more prevalent than nookie. Kids get real sex ed online anyway.

Cut and paste from a four-year-old article on liveabout.com - the trusted authority on the state of contemporary cinema.

If toothpaste with fluoride outsells toothpaste without fluoride, why would you produce toothpaste without fluoride? If SUVs outsell coupes, why would you start a factory and make coupes? If pg-13 movies outsell r movies why would you make r movies? I think I would make r movies or special interest films too. But I would mostly make pg-13 movies, because they generate more money.

That is my question. That is my answer to my question.

Don't you know?! Because Fluoride is a Commie plot.

Why R? Because some people like and can handle entertainment that's more adult in nature. Not everyone is shocked by film depictions of messin' 'round and don't believe "Soaking" is not sex.

There's plenty allowed in PG-13 films. The MPAA guidelines: https://www.filmratings.com/Content/Downloads/rating_rules.pdf

Interesting question. I imagine there would be complications with the WGA and PGA and DGA and Sag/Aftra contracts with 2 different versions of a movie. Would it be considered 2 scripts? Would it be 2 different buyer distribution deals? If so, then you’re looking at double the budget for one story and 2 P&Ls for the waterfall.

The original question was why not make two versions of the movie. One version is rated R and the other is PG -13. That is too costly. The second question was why not focus on the rating with the best sales average? And I guess the answer is because of the vision of the screenwriter.

Thanks everyone.

I sometimes write sex scenes, for example, because it is a very strong way to show character; rough sex, gentle tender sex, deviant sex, consensual sex. All these ways reveal who the person truly is behind closed doors. I do not do it for gratuitous sake as that is cheap porn. But there are ways to show sex in film without nudity and still get the point across, so your questions were valid.

Once the script is sold, the writer is as welcome as plague. So much for vision.

You're welcome, James Bat Wilkinson.

The reason people diversify is to take the maximum money from a market.

They edit R films to make them general for planes. Hunt down those edits. Sorry to be insulting. But do you think it is arrogant to believe an industry should make everything just the way you want it. You being anyone that thinks they deserve that consideration.

You made the distinction between SUV and Coupes. What about if I asked for Porsche to make a 911 pickup truck. Not a pickup truck designed to be a pickup truck (which would be a G movie). But get a 911 (while in production) and make a pickup truck version. It wouldn’t be as good as a vehicle specifically designed to be a pickup truck (G movie), it would just modified.

Makes no sense really.

Industries do what makes money. This obviously doesn’t make money, otherwise it would be done.

Thanks for your knowledge.

Again, I'm not approving of or disapproving of R movies. I am asking a question about making money with a movie. Would it be profitable to present two versions? One R rated and one cleaned up a little.

I showed where PG - 13 movies outsell R movies. I questioned why there are not more PG - 13 movies.

I stated if I were making movies, I would focus more on PG - 13 movies.

I never asked for any special considerations.

The Clue movie was released, with three versions showing in theaters. Why can't a R version and PG - 13 version be shown simultaneously?

Again, if it made money they would do it.

Second it actually has nothing to do with the writer. I could writer a lovely character full of love and innocence. The actor adds swearing and plays it like a serial killer. People like it, tada, new character.