MPAA awards PG-13 rating to alternative version of ‘The King’s Speech’

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Just two days before the 83rd Academy Awards, the Motion Picture Assoc. of America announced that it has assigned a PG-13 rating to an alternate version of ‘The King’s Speech’ in which, a source says, the contentious F-words have been muted out.

According to a statement released by the MPAA, the organization, along with its cohorts at the National Association of Theatre Owners, have also waived a rule that required the distributor to fully withdraw the original version of the film from theaters for 90 days before replacing it with an alternative. Said MPAA’s interim president and CEO Bob Pisano,’The Weinstein Co. has undertaken a commitment to ensure, through a revised advertising campaign, that it will be clear to consumers that a newly rated version of this film is coming to theaters near them. In this case a waiver is justified.’

‘The King’s Speech,’ which is nominated for 12 Academy Awards, has already grossed $106 million domestically. The new version should assist the film in gaining an even wider audience.

— Nicole Sperling

Photo: Colin Firth in ‘The King’s Speech’ Credit: The Weinstein Co.