The sci-fi pic Prometheus is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated films of the year. It marks a return to sci-fi for director Ridley Scott, it has an incredible cast, and the footage looks amazing. Much has been made of what the rating of the film will be, given that Scott’s Alien was rated R but we now live in a marketplace dominated by PG-13 blockbusters. Scott himself previously said the film should be rated R and told audiences that the film we see come June will be his director’s cut. In case words from the man himself weren’t reassuring enough, Steve sat down with 20th Century Fox CEO Tom Rothman earlier today at CinemaCon and during their wide-ranging conversation, Rothman has even more assurance that we won’t be seeing a neutered version of Prometheus:
"I can assure the fans—I’m very aware of their concern—absolutely they can take it that the film will not be compromised either way. So if that means that the film is R, then it’ll be an R. If it’s PG-13, then it’ll be a PG-13, but it will not be compromised.
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Unless Scott thinks the PG-13 version plays better, I think we’re gonna be seeing an R-rated Prometheus come June. This is fine by me, as I’m psyched as all get-up at the prospect of Scott returning to the sci-fi/horror genre in full force. Rothman also talked about Fox’s gutsy decision in taking what started as a direct prequel to Alien in a different direction:
“[For] Prometheus, it would have been very easy—in fact probably in Chapter One of the Executive Handbook, if I ever read such a thing, it would say, ‘Go ahead, make a straightforward prequel to Alien.’ That would have been the easy thing to do. Prometheus is the more challenging thing to do. It’s bolder, it’s original, it’s in the universe, but it’s not a literal story-based prequel to [Alien], it’s a wholly new science-fiction entry from Ridley Scott, who hasn’t made a science-fiction film in 30 years.â€
As I said, I absolutely cannot wait to see what Scott has cooked up with Prometheus, and you really have to hand it to Fox not only for getting the movie made in the first place, but for leaving the rating decision up to the director even if it means a loss in potential profit.
