Ahead of its impending release, the It Ends With Us movie received a shocking parental rating.
Set to release in theaters on Friday, August 9, the film centers on Blake Lively's Lily, a woman who finds herself in the middle of a complicated love triangle between the abusive Ryle (Justin Baldoni) and her high school sweetheart, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar)
The upcoming romantic drama is based on the acclaimed and controversial Colleen Hoover novel of the same name. That book has drawn the ire of many for, what some have deemed, its glorification or romanticization of domestic violence and abuse (read more about the It Ends With Us controversy).
What Is It Ends With Us Rated?
Given the content of its source material, the rating of the upcoming Blake Lively-led movie, It Ends With Us, may be a surprise to some.
According to the film's official website, it will carry a PG-13 rating when it is released, featuring "domestic violence, sexual content, and some strong language."
This will surely come as a surprise to some, especially those familiar with the Colleen Hoover novel the film is based on.
Hoover's 2016 best-seller was given an age recommendation of "Mature 17+" thanks to its mature themes and the prominent focus on a physically abusive relationship at the story's core (via Hoover's website).
According to a well-known literary parental guide resource Common Sense Media, the It Ends With Us book is recommended for those in their upper teens, calling the story in its review, a "Mature, uneven, steamy romance [that] takes on tough issues."
Outside of its portrayal of domestic abuse amongst romantic partners, the book has also become infamous for its graphic description of sexual encounters between characters. This includes detailing of genitalia, various sexual acts, and using sex as a tool to intimidate a partner.
While this PG-13 rating could get around all of this, it does seem like if the film were to faithfully adapt its source material, it would be pushing somewhere beyond that.
What this likely means is there have been changes made to the film version of this story to slip in under that PG-13 mark.
No, this does not mean the crux of the story will be changed. It could just include the toning down of the book's adult themes, implying its domestic violence and sexual acts instead of showing them in full on-screen.
This was likely done by the studio to capture the book's largely teen and young adult (16 or 17-year-old) audience that has discovered the story through its virality on platforms like TikTok.
With a PG-13 rating, these younger audience members can get into the theater without hesitation instead of perhaps being held back by an R-rating if the film had opted for going a more mature direction.
[ It Ends With Us Ending, Summary & Spoilers from the Book, Explained ]
It Ends With Us hits theaters on Friday, August 9.
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