I found the interview with TIm Rothman genuinely heartwarming

[b]@ Mentos - [/b] Do I believe Tom (interfering FOX 'suit') Rothman is genuinely invested in this movie both emotionally and financially, as you say? Sure, I'm positive he loves the way it's turned out and knows it's bound to make a shedful of profit for him and the studio. However, he does NOT state that the movie was ever actually intended to be a 'hard' R, or anything like that to begin with! My own belief is that Ridley most likely had to consent to aiming for a pg-13 rating BEFORE he was given the big budget to make this in the first place. We know that Ridley filmed some 'harder-edged' material which he hoped to show Rothman too, but we still don't know if that 'harder' cut is the one thats been submitted for certification, or not... The cynic in me reckons that the 'watered-down' version is the cut that's been submitted, and that Rothman is telling the truth that it won't be cut again whatsoever, regardless of what the MPAA decide... But there is no confirmation that ALL of Ridley's intended 'harder-edged' footage has been submitted at this point, and I reckon we WON'T see it until it gets added to the Blu-ray release one day... I'd loved to be proved WRONG on this though! However, interesting that Rothman was responsible for this movie not having 'ALIEN' in the title anywhere. I was initially thinking it would be called something like 'ALIEN:ORIGINS' when I first heard about it. So that was interesting, if nothing else.

[b]@Cervantes[/b] I think you do bring up an interesting point there, and I have heard a few others mention it too. I'm really hoping Ridley made this film with an R-rating in mind though, which is something he mentioned in the latest EMPIRE interview. The more I think about it though, the more I ask myself; do you need an R-rating to be scary? I remember watching Woman in Black a few months a go, which was rated a 12A here in the UK, and that film scared the living daylights out of me. Maybe Prometheus could be terrifying with a lower rating?

I've no doubt a pg-13 'Theatrical' cut will end up 'intense', with some scary moments...but it still won't include all the visual splendour of Ridley's FULL footage is my opinion, which I'm disappointed about.

Given how hard Fox is promoting this film, both online and on tv, you almost have to assume an R-rating...if they were aiming this at the 15 year old crowd, all they'd have to do is show an extended clip of Charlize doing naked push-ups. My gut tells me Fox wants an adult audience in the theatre, thus the hardcore marketing campaign. Either way (and after seeing the extended Russian trailer), I am absolutely stoked!!