Who knew back in 2016 that "Deadpool" would become the highest grossing R-rated superhero movie of all time? It's no surprise that its sequel "Deadpool 2" would garner even more success. After everyone's favorite rodent swallowed the Fox Corporation back in 2019, they acquired the rights to the Deadpool franchise. Now fans can rejoice that "Merc With a Mouth" is back for a third installment-thanks to Disney. The Mouse Empire revealed its plans to release "Deadpool 3" with an R rating; the first R-Rated film set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Often, before going to see a film at the theater, or pressing play on our remote, we check the rating of a film or series. On most streaming platforms, this is found on the title’s information page. For movies in theaters, ratings are found at the end of the trailers played on television commercial breaks or in the paper.
More hours are being spent on the couch than on the road now with everyone in quarantine and working from home. We have seemingly replaced commuting in cars to bingeing TV. Streaming platforms are taking advantage of this new reality by churning out as much original content as they can. Older, forgotten shows are getting rebooted or renewed for additional episodes exclusively for their respective platforms. The show "Friends" has a reunion special confirmed to be exclusive to HBOMAX in 2021.
In a move to modernize the age-rating system for movies in Ontario, Canada, the provincial government recently proposed the 'Film Content Information Act 2020' as part of the Budget Bill that does away with General, Parental Guidance, 14 Accompaniment, 18 Accompaniment and Restricted age ratings. The new act would replace the Film Classification Act, 2005 .
Ratings are a tricky business, with each country having its own set of rules. Throw in the fact that movies, television shows, and video games each have their own set of rating guidelines and you could be reading the specs for ages. In North America, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is responsible for rating video games for mass consumption. Parents want to know exactly what kind of game they are buying for their children, and on the other end of the spectrum, critics want to know how to review games for their fans. Or, you know, people want to just know what to expect when buying a game off a shelf.
In the oceanic depths of online content, there was a tiny litigious rodent named Mickey Mouse that consumed corporate giants to monopolize its stronghold on streaming platforms. When Mickey isn't floating around on his corporate steamboat Willieenjoying the excesses of his luxurious frugal billionaire lifestyle, this chauvinistic rat is pedaling G-rated content to millions of children all across the world with his new streaming service Disney+. Children's parents religiously subscribe to monthly subscription fees to keep their children glued to the TV for as long as possible. It's hard to ignore the amount of content available on Disney+, which signed up 10 million subscribers on its November 2019 launch, and the promise of more original content still on the way . While the children melt their brains with reruns of "Ducktales" or "Kim Possible" downstairs, what adult content (if any) do the parents get to watch on Disney+?
As social media and technology advances, new types of video content services and user experiences are rapidly evolving. The blend of modern content creation and internet services has changed viewing habits, especially for newer generations. Though traditional television remains an important source of entertainment, increasingly, audiences now prefer to consume video-sharing on portable devices.
The moment fans have been waiting for is finally here! "Hamilton" is coming to Disney+ ! Fans of the Broadway favorite that "uses hip-hop to tell the story of founding father and America's first treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton" have been clamoring for a televised version for years, and it's finally a reality. “Hamilton” is coming to Disney+ ! Fans of the Broadway favorite that “uses hip-hop to tell the story of founding father and America’s first treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton” have been clamoring for a televised version for years, and it’s finally a reality. You thought it was quiet uptown? Not after fans got a hold of the news! The historically based show has been hailed a masterpiece for Lin-Manuel Miranda. From its costumes to its musical lyrics, the show is visually stunning and the king of all earworms. But, as most fans will attest, Miranda does not shy away from language—with three instances of the F-word throughout the musical. By making “Hamilton” available on Disney+, Miranda’s hit show must abide by the ratings system set forth by the Motion Picture Association (MPA). This means that the musical’s iconic lyrics, though fun to sing at home, must be censored for a wider viewing audience. Lin-Manuel Miranda confirmed on Twitter that two swear words were censored in order to get a PG-13 rating. “In Yorktown, there’s a mute over “I get the f___ back up again” he wrote, adding that the other line is now, “Southern *record scratch*kin’ Democratic Republicans.” According to the MPA website, any type of content containing more than one strong expletive gets at least a R rating: “A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually derived words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating.” Based on the Ron Chernow book of the same name, “Hamilton” has won many awards, including 11 Tony Awards (2016) and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. While it is heralded as a modern breath of fresh air on Alexander Hamilton’s history, it is also applauded for casting Black, Latino, and Asian American actors for its original cast. Grab some popcorn and a seat on the couch, it’s showtime!
There are many different video games to choose from, but they all must receive an age-appropriate rating before being sold. As with movies and television shows, parents want to know what they are purchasing for their children. Ratings help them know exactly what they are buying and how that content is consumed. So, it was surprising Nintendo Switch released the indie game “Do Not Feed the Monkeys” in North America with an “E for Everyone” rating.