So far, 2018 has not been kind to The New Mutants and their fanbase. The Fox/Marvel film recently got pushed from its previous release date of April 13th to the way-off date of February 22, 2019. Now, for those of you who were hoping that the movie, which has a real horror-story slant, would be in the vein of mature, R-rated Marvel Comics adaptations like Deadpool and Logan, I have some disappointing news.
In a chat with Empire Magazine (via CBM), The New Mutants writer-director Josh Boone confirmed that the film will indeed be receiving a PG-13 rating, though he was quick to stress that they're pushing that limit about as far as they can. However, the movie will be different from previous mutant-focused films in other ways, too, which Boone teases in the recent interview. It's a long wait to February of next year, so who knows what we'll learn--or what may change--in the meantime.
Here's what Boone had to say regarding The New Mutants rating:
"This movie is probably the hardest PG-13 ever made. I mean, we've pushed it. The horror is pretty dark, but there's also an emotional core, too. If I can scare you and make you cry: that's the goal."
So if you were expecting an R rating, sorry. And if you were expecting the title team to put on their crime-fighting tights, sorry again:
"There are no costumes. That alone makes it different. They can't be with the other kids at the X-Mansion. They're too f***ed up. They've all killed people, whether intentionally or unintentionally."
For more on The New Mutants, be sure to get caught up with our recent write-ups below:
- 2019 Release Calendar: Here’s What Coming to Theaters Next Year
- New Images from ‘Black Panther’, ‘Ready Player One’, ‘Aquaman’ and More
- Watch: Meet All the ‘New Mutants’ in a Collection of Short Teaser Videos
- 15 Things We Learned About ‘The New Mutants’ from the CCXP Panel in Brazil
- First ‘New Mutants’ Poster Goes Full ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’