HOLLYWOOD – Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” 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 Friday, in advance of the Easter holiday. Gibson had hoped a seven-minute cut would bring him a PG-13 rating. But his Icon Productions was informed by the Motion Picture Association 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,” Newmarket President Bob Berney said. “It’s hard to know the commercial impact. … We have to fight the perception that ‘unrated’ means more graphic.”
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 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 Web site (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 Association of Theatre Owners, said major studios are contractually prohibited by the Motion Picture Association 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,” he said.
Berney said “Recut” lands somewhere between an R and a PG-13, for which parental guidance is suggested. While still unsuitable for young children, the tone and balance are more appropriate for teens and those who are a bit squeamish, he said.
A grass-roots evangelical campaign has again been employed for “Recut,” although substantially smaller in scale. E-mails have been sent to churches advising them of the new version. Group sales, which drove the original to blockbuster status, are expected, particularly over Easter week. Each time the holiday rolls around, Newmarket intends to re-release a version of “The Passion” – either the original or the recut version.
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