According to the latest report from the MPAA, Amityville: The Awakening has been recut to secure a PG-13 rating classification. This comes as something of a disappointment.
There certainly are PG-13 horror films that I enjoy very much and would not change a thing about. But the fact that the original film and every subsequent sequel (as well as the 2005 remake) were all rated R makes this seem like little more than an attempt to cash in on the tween crowd. The fact that this latest installment was originally slapped with an R-rating and then cut to secure a PG-13 certification at the last minute makes it all the more disconcerting. I will reserve final judgment until I have actually seen the film. But I am more than a little nervous about what’s in store for us.
Here is the official word from the Motion Picture Association of America: “Rated PG-13 for disturbing horror violence and terror, suggestive images, brief language and thematic material. Note: Edited for Re-rate.”
Amityville: The Awakening is slated for a nationwide release next month. You probably already know all about the fiasco in which Dimension Films inexplicably pulled Amityville: The Awakening from its upcoming release schedule. But just in case, here’s the rundown: It was initially planned for a January 2, 2015 release. Then, Jason Blum explained that his production company was still working out the details of postproduction with Dimension. Then, after being bounced around a bit, the film finally secured an April 1, 2016 release date.
In the film, “Belle and her family move into a new house, but when strange phenomena begin to occur, Belle begins to suspect her Mother isn’t telling her everything and soon realizes they just moved into the infamous Amityville house.”
Amityville: The Awakening is helmed by Franck Khalfoun (Maniac 2012). It stars Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Bella Thorne (Scream: The TV Series) and Cameron Monaghan (Vampire Academy).
