Those of you reading this article who live in the United States obviously think of movies ratings across G to NC-17 spectrum, but it's easy to forget that other countries have their own ratings classifications. Take Aquaman. In the U.S., the movie earned a predictable PG-13, but in the United Kingdom, it's been rated 12A, like every other modern DC movie. However, in order to get that 12A rating, one of the Aquaman scenes had to be tweaked. According to the British Board of Film Classification:
This work was originally seen for advice. The company was advised the film was likely to be classified 15 but that their preferred 12A classification could be achieved by removing bloody detail. When the film was submitted for formal classification the bloody detail had been removed and the film was classified 12A.
As noted in Digital Spy's report, making slight changes to a movie, particularly major blockbusters, in order to hit a certain rating isn't uncommon, which means DC fans should start clamoring for the true "James Wan Cut." That being said, there's no word yet on if this scene that was altered for U.K. audiences will also be what U.S. audiences see or if U.S. audiences are getting the original version. It also doesn't sound like this change to hit 12A will affect Aquaman's runtime, as it's still 143 minutes in the U.K.
Although Aquaman has screened early for some critics and other individuals lucky enough to attend these screenings, the public is a little less than a month out from getting to see it, so it's hard to narrow down which scene was changed. Like most superhero movies, Aquaman won't be lacking for action-packed moments, such as the underwater war scenes teased in the previews. Whatever scene was altered, evidently that was enough to ensure that it's considered "family friendly" across the pond.
Set after the events of Justice League, Aquaman, the sixth DC Extended Universe movie, sees Arthur Curry returning to Atlantis and becoming the underwater nation's new king, only to find himself caught in a war between the surface world and the Atlanteans wanting revenge for humanity polluting the oceans. Along with Jason Momoa reprising Arthur Curry, the movie's cast include Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Orm, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna and Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry.
Aquaman dives into theaters for the masses on December 21, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. In the meantime, look through our holiday premiere guide to find out what else is coming out in December, or check out our DC movies guide to learn what the DCEU has coming down the pipeline.
