Batman V Superman: Blu-Ray Release To Be R-Rated
By Steve Lam
Oh my! Has Deadpool really revolutionized the film industry? Should we thank the Merc with a Mouth for freeing the oppressed fan-driven directors from their evil money-hungry, only-ratings-that-can-fill-theater-seats-to-a-brim studio heads? First brought to the attention of Bam Smack Pow by William Robert Rich — screenplay consultant extraordinaire — of ScreenplayHowTo, we now have an idea what director Zack Snyder truly intended for his first pairing of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight — a full-fledged R-rated smackdown!
This R-rated Blu-Ray Edition will be formally named Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition. The R-rated material is, not surprisingly, due to excessive violence. There weren’t exact details on the type of carnage that was edited out to get it the theatrical rating of a PG-13. But with the appearance of Doomsday, we can make some educated guesses as to the type of gore and brutality that would’ve graced auditoriums worldwide. Here’s how the entry in a bulletin from the MPAA read, which was first revealed by Batman News:
"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Ultimate Edition – Rated R For sequences of violence. #50279NOTE: EDITED VERSION. CONTENT IS DIFFERENT FROM PG-13 VERSION, BULLETIN NO. 2393 (9/30/15)"
Not to take anything away from the Merc with a Mouth, Deadpool is most likely not responsible for this R-rated Ultimate Edition of the two greatest heroes duking it out on the silver screen. Audiences should keep in mind that director Zack Snyder has traditionally made R-rated comic book movies — 300 (2006) and Watchmen (2009) — and he may have had a vision for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to be much more philosophically deep, as is a mainstay for a lot of DC properties. In addition, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a film that’s been in the works for almost three years, so an R-rating was already pre-visualized way before Deadpool, which started filming in early 2015.
Now is the time for me to lose all objectivity and give you a taste of my first reaction upon hearing this news:
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Official Synopsis: Fearing the actions of a god-like super hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has a United States release date of March 25, 2016. It will be directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio from a story by David Goyer and Zack Snyder, and will star Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Superman, Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Diane Lane as Martha Kent, Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth, Tao Okamoto as Mercy Graves, Holly Hunter as Senator Finch, Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg, and Callan Mulvey, Scoot McNairy, and Jena Malone in unspecified roles.