There are only a handful of directors out there whose name on a movie is more meaningful than the stars attached, andChristopher Nolanis certainly one of those filmmakers. After succeeding on the indie level withMementoand reinventing the superhero genre with hisDark Knighttrilogy,Christopher Nolan’s films have become highly-anticipated events, and his latest, theWWII-erathrillerDunkirkis no exception. Earlier today, the MPAA issued a PG-13 rating forDunkirk, which has taken some fans by surprise.
ERC Box Officereports that the MPAA handed down the rating today for, “intense war experience and some language.” The site even joked that, if the age-old axiom “War is hell” is true, thanChristopher Nolan’sDunkirkmay only be, “mildly hellish.” Then again, there has never been any indication thatChristopher Nolanwas shooting for an R-rating while production was under way last year, and the firstDunkirk trailerdidn’t show any actual violence, although it was quite intense. While PG-13 is still the preferred rating for studios to reach the widest possible audience, R-rated movies have most certainly become more popular than ever.
IfDunkirkwould have been given an R rating, it would have been directorChristopher Nolan’s first R-rated movie in 15 years, sinceInsomnia, starringAl Pacino. In fact, the filmmaker’s first three feature-length films, 1998’s black-and-white low-budget thrillerFollowing, his 2000 breakthrough hitMementoandInsomnia, were all R-rated, but he has only made PG-13 movies since then. We also reported in September that, due to his string of consistent hits,Christopher Nolanhas become thehighest-paid directorin Hollywood, earning a hefty $20 million up-front fee for directingDunkirk, while also getting 20 percent of the gross. This is said to be the biggest directorial deal sincePeter Jacksonsigned a similar pact to direct 2005’sKing Kong.
WhileChristopher Nolanhasn’t spoken about the film’s rating yet, it’s possible that he may address it when it comes time to promote the film, depending on how fans react to this news. DirectorMel Gibsonhad modest financial success last year with his R-rated WWII thrillerHacksaw Ridge, which earned $67.2 million domestically and $175.3 million worldwide. Many fans compared the firstDunkirkfootage to another R-rated WWII classic,Steven Spielberg’sSaving Private Ryan, which earned $216.5 million domestically and $481.8 million in 1998, from a $70 million budget. Then, of course, there are other recent R-rated box office hits likeDeadpoolandLogan, which have forced studios to re-examine their stance on R-rated fare.
Ironically, a different Paramount movie was given an R rating today, the studio’s theatrical reboot ofBaywatch, which was rated R for “language throughout, crude sexual content, and graphic nudity”. Last month,Christopher Nolanexplained the intricateplot structureofDunkirk, which is told from different perspectives on air, land and sea.Tom Hardy’s character is believed to be one of the main characters in the air portion of the story, while youngHarry Styles' character will be on the beach andCillian MurphyandMark Rylance’s characters will be the naval characters. Take a look at the tweets from ERC Box Office, which reveals the MPAA ratings for bothDunkirkandBaywatch.
