We’ve known this was coming for a while, but I had just hoped it wasn’t going to happen anymore once The King’s Speech undeservedly won the Oscar. The PG-13 cut of The King’s Speech has been prepared and is releasing next week, April 1st. For those that don’t remember, the film unjustly received an R for a single scene where the word “fuck” is used repeatedly to help King George get over his stammer. As the MPAA is a bunch of jackasses, saying “fuck” more than two or three times gets you an automatic R, regardless of the context of the use of the word or the rest of the film’s content. In efforts to bring the film to a wider audience, Harvey Weinstein created this dubbed cut of the film, which dubs in “shit” for “fuck” in the aforementioned scene. The film will screen in 1,000 theaters.
The film’s already won all the Oscars. If a family wanted their sub-eighteen year olds to see this film, they’ve seen it. I highly doubt many thirteen-to-seventeen year-olds are going to look at the movie showtimes on April 1st and say, “Oh, dude! King’s Speech! We’re not sneaking into Super today!” Everyone that’s going to see this movie, that’s even interested in seeing it has already seen it. And let’s not forget how this is another silly show of Harvey Weinstein editing a movie for his reasons, not the filmmaker’s. Let’s not forget that this is Tom Hooper’s first major release. Of course he’s going to let the Weinsteins do this. But it’s ok, because fourteen year-olds can go see this movie without mommy and daddy.
You can read the full press release on the matter below the jump. Me, I’m too busy shouting at the picture I keep of Harvey Weinstein for anger management purposes.
OSCAR®‘S BEST PICTURE IS NOW THE BEST FAMILY FILM OF 2011 AS THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY’S THE KING’S SPEECH PG-13 OPENS NATIONWIDE ON APRIL 1ST
Quadruple Academy Award® Winner To Open On 1,000 Screens, Will Be Only Version In Theatres
New York, NY, March 24, 2011 – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that THE KING’S SPEECH PG-13, the family-friendly version of its Academy Award-winning historical drama about King George VI, will open on 1,000 screens nationwide on April 1, and will be the only version available in theatres. One of the year’s most celebrated, successful and beloved films, THE KING’S SPEECH was honored at the 83rd Academy Awards® with Oscars® for Best Picture, to producers Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin; Best Director, to helmer Tom Hooper; Best Actor, to star Colin Firth; and Best Original Screenplay, to screenwriter David Seidler. The announcement was made by TWC’s President of Theatrical Distribution and Home Entertainment Eric Lomis.
Said Lomis, “We are thankful to the MPAA for their wisdom and swift action in approving the release of THE KING’S SPEECH PG-13 release. The action enables those to whom it speaks most directly – young people who are troubled by stuttering, bullying and similar trials — to see it.”
The emotional impact of stuttering that was illuminated by THE KING’S SPEECH continues to be a topic of conversation with the recent statements by Vice President Joseph Biden about his own struggles with stammering. The release of THE KING’S SPEECH PG-13 offers families nationwide access to a positive story about stuttering and overcoming obstacles and social stigmas.
ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes, most recently Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH, winner of four 2011 Academy Awards®, including Best Picture; Derek Cianfrance’s Academy Award®-nominated BLUE VALENTINE; and John Wells’ feature directorial debut, THE COMPANY MEN. Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; I’M NOT THERE;THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY;PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; and 2011 Golden Globe® Best Foreign Language Film nominee THE CONCERT. Upcoming releases include MIRAL, SPY KIDS 4, SCREAM 4, APOLLO 18, DIRTY GIRL, SUBMARINE, OUR IDIOT BROTHER, THE DETAILS, CORIOLANUS, MY WEEK WITH MARILYN and SO UNDERCOVER. Recently wrapping is I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT. Currently in production is COGAN’S TRADE.
TWC is also active in television production, with credits including the Emmy® Award-winning hit reality series “Project Runway,” and the critically acclaimed HBO comedy/crime series “The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency.” The company is producing two “Project Runway” spinoffs, “Project Runway: Masters” and “Project Runway: Accessories,” which are expected to debut in 2011. The company currently has 15 series in different stages of development, including: “Mob Wives,” a reality series for VH1; “Marco Polo,” a scripted historical series about the great explorer; “The Nanny Diaries,” based on the hit book; and “The Mad Ones,” adapted from the Mafia novel of the same name.
