Why don't studios release two different cuts PG13 and R rating?

Are you referring to the PG13 vs R rating? If so, it makes more sense for them to release it correctly (R) to begin with.

As simply put. It should be an "R" rating hands down. How can you give a movie as sexually and dimly disturbing as Ridley Scott and H.R. Giger's design and style a PG-13 rating. Like its been said. If its going to be a PG-13, it better be a pretty "HARD" PG-13.

Like I said before I want a HARDCORE NC-17 rating! That's the version i wanna see in IMAX and 3D!!!

It is my understanding that the MPAA does not allow studios to release the same movie in two different versions, with two different ratings at the same time.

sigh i hate this topic, look the movie will be pg-13 in theaters MAYBE R probably not but maybe, no making it R will NOT make them more money, and no i would hate an NC-17 rating. lets go back to the original alien, besides the chestburster scene and the cursing, lets be honest, its a pg-13 movie. it is good with tension and atmosphere and never really needed blood. the only reason they curse is once again to set an atmosphere, truck drivers in space they would swear a lot but in Prometheus its a science expedition and i think scientists swear a lot less then truck drivers. okay there goes the cursing, now lets see what we have left.... gore, and once again, besides the chestburster the gore in alien is very little, just a shot of blood here and there and with Prometheus i don't see that happening. in Prometheus i imagine the chestburster equivalent to be some kind of mutation, not very gory, or the Shaw baby which as we can see is more of a medical procedure and less of a violent gore scene so i don't see an R rating in that either. and in response to Synthrimonger94, no an NC-17 rating is a horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible horrible idea. lets think about this for a second, not only would that stop the creation of new sprouting fans, less people would want to see it. NC-17 is a dirty rating, kind of like porn, people wouldn't want to see that in a public theater and so they would wait until dvd rating. also why do you want it anyway? you do realize that the ONLY thing that can get that rating is lots and lots of sexual imagery, and not in the subliminal way like alien, they would literally need to show genitalia and possibly penetration to get that kind of rating, gore cant get that if that's what you wanted that rating for, so more or less you are hoping it will be a porno.

Alien is a different movie without the chestburster scene, IMO.

I think that Sir Ridley can deliver the goods at a PG-13...and I am pretty sure that it would be a "hard" PG-13...

@invaderzim42 I'm meant a film so full of gore and violence it would have to get an NC-17 rating I didnt mean an actually sexual rating! I'm not a sicko!

Full frontal FTW

@Synthrimonger94 i know what you meant lol don't worry but that's my point, you cant get NC-17 with just gore. its impossible. if you dont believe me, here is a clip from brain dead. this movie is only rated [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkUdGkIwMFQ]R.[/url]

@invadezim42 Is that legal? Hehehe I see what you mean! But yeah I'd like to see a R rated film! But Dark Knight Rises has just gotten a PG-13 rating! Prometheus will probably have the same rating to compete!

NO ONE can comment on what this is going to be either way yet.....none of us has seen anything at all, despite the trailers...we are ignorant of the true content of this film and It's pointless to claim either as the way to go.... invaderzim42......'Alien' is an R rated film now as much as it was then, even more so then, as nothing like it had been made to that point....the gratuity of the chestburster seen alone, coupled with the suggestive nature of the other death scenes, particularly Lambert's, was a puntuation of violence in cinematic horror that, though it held back in some ways, was entirely new and traumatic to audiences.....you can't look at a film like that and judge it by modern standards of violence, gore and gratuity.....'Alien' is an R rated film because of that....

@craigamore yes thats true, alien is horrifying but being horrifying does not get you an R rating, for all of the R ratings history there have been 3 things to get it 1:swearing 2:gore 3: nudity without the chestburster and the swearing alien is pg-13 thats not bad thing at all, its a good thing! it shows that alien can scare the hell out of anybody without gore! and yes Lambert's death scene was terrible but it was off camera, so they could get away with that in a pg-13 film.

We'll just have to agree to disagree....but that's cool.....that's why we're here...

All I'm asking for is a film that can have the same impact on me as 'Alien'. If they can deliver that under a PG-13 rating, then maybe I can accept that. Otherwise, I don't see why they can't show two versions with different ratings, unless it's not doable because of ticket sales.

People will either go to one or the other, not both. It would probably be something like 80% R to 20% PG-13. The PG-13 version would drop out quick due to low ticket sales leaving only the R. You might as well just release it as R. What's more profitable for the studios (and I'm not condoning this) is to release it as PG-13 in theaters and then release it as PG-13 after about 4 months on DVD/Blu-ray AND THEN release it as R on DVD/Blu-ray 6-9 months after the films release. You pay to watch it in the theater, then buy it at home, then buy it again when it's "unrated". It worked on me back when The Lord of the Rings was in theaters over the course of 3 years. I bought the theatrical release DVD's and then bought the movies again when they were extended because I didn't know the extended versions would be released when I bought the theatrical.

Same here.....DVD theatrical, then the extended edition set on Blu-ray. I'm actually looking forward to the inevitable 'unrated, extended edition' more than I am the 3D theatrical release. 3D isn't as crystal clear as a good 2D presentation anyway.

[quote]Alien is a different movie without the chestburster scene, IMO.[/quote] Hah, especially in the era where Scott wanted to be Kubrick with the long build-up scenes. Imagine sitting there for an hour and then discovering there's nothing at the end of the rainbow? Wouldn't make for a happy leprechaun.

I know what you mean want-to-see-prometheusNOW!, but that's an almost impossible standard......that chestburster scene alone is cinematic legend..the kind that affects the landscape permanently.....that doesn't come along often.....we can hope I guess....

Unless they pull one of these. lol.

Ripley Clone, that's i.q. droppin' funny! As for this topic, it's old hat now. Whether it is rated PG-13, or R this film will be outstanding. I do agree with everyone that hopes this movie remains rated R, and I hope for that as well. If Prometheus gets an R rating, it will change films in a great way! Time to take off the baby gloves!

Put simply - money. You release a PG-13 version so you can get a larger demographic to see the movie in the theatres and then you release an "unrated" edition on DVD so you can make more money off the fanboys. From everything I have seen about the marketing of this movie that is what they are doing. Ridley shot the movie he wanted and he shot the movie the studio wanted. You will get to see what the studio wanted in the theatres but you will have to buy the special edition to see Ridley's version.

Ridley has pretty much stated he is covering his ass and doing a PG-13 AND an R rated version. Currently many movies have a 3D and a 2D version, you want there to be an R Rated 3D and a PG-13 3D, with a R Rated 2D and Pg-13 Rated 2D version ? so 4 versions of the same movie out at the same time ?...Im gonna say...no sir not gonna happen He will prolly do PG-13 and on Blue Ray, UNrated Directors Cut version, pretty much how its gonna go

craigamore, I'm with you. R-rating all the way. I don't want a toned down film.

I think they should have a rating even more hard core like , R-Sociopath, you have to be legally a sociopath before you can watch the movie, ironically the sales will still be good