Ridley Scott Discusses PG-13 Rating for Prometheus, Teases at Story
Unless you’ve been in a state of hibernation floating around in space for the past few months, you’ve probably heard of Prometheus, the upcoming prequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 sci-fi classic, Alien. While the original alien and the sequel directed by James Cameron were both hard-R’s, in a recent interview with Empire magazine, Ridley Scott seemed to be leaning toward a PG-13 rating. Scott also spoke on how Prometheus functions as a standalone film in addition to being a prequel, and what sort of surprises fans of the original are in store for.
Since Prometheus has yet to be shown to the MPAA, Scott seemed to hint that the film will be more successful as a PG-13, and nothing that fans love about the tone of the series will be lost.
“Right now I don’t know where we are. The question is, do you go for the PG-13, or do you go for what it should be, which is R? Financially it makes quite a difference, or the risk makes quite a difference, and yet you also have to apply the question — if you soften it, will you financially suffer? As opposed to just going for the throat and gambling. Essentially, it’s kinda R. The little bastards will still get in anyway, so what’s the difference? It’s not just about blood, it’s about ideas that are very stressful. I’m not an idiot, but I’ll do everything I can to get the most aggressive film I can.”
Scott also touched on the mystery at the center of the film—who is the Space Jockey? Fans of the original all clearly recall the giant alien pilot carcass, but evidence in the latest trailer suggests that really all we saw of the creature was its outer space suit. “I always wondered when they did [Aliens] 2, 3 and 4 why they hadn’t touched upon that, instead of evolving into some other fantastic story. They missed the biggest question of them all: who’s the big guy? And where were they going? And with what? Why that cargo? There’s all kinds of questions.”
Prometheus is looking to be one of the most promising movies of the summer, having already delivered two sleek, stylish trailers and a slew of virals for “The Weyland Corporation.” Regardless of whether or not the movie is a PG-13, I think it will end up appropriately chilling and perfectly match the tone of the original Alien thanks to Scott’s direction. The film opens June 1st on regular theaters and IMAX and stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron and Logan Marshall-Green. Check out the trailer below:
