Hunger Games gets minor edits for U.K. release
'Blood splashes' removed to garner teen-friendly rating
The much-anticipated dystopian film The Hunger Games — set in a world where chosen teens must battle to the death — has undergone some edits to garner a youth-friendly rating in the U.K.
According to the British Board of Film Classification, distributor Lions Gate agreed "to make cuts in order to achieve a 12A classification."
About seven seconds of edits include digitally removing the "sight of blood splashes and sight of blood on wounds and weapons" in one scene "to reduce an emphasis on blood and injury."
Without the edits, The Hunger Games would have received a 15A rating, which affects a film's potential box office take since it prevents those under the age of 15 from watching it, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian.
In the U.S., for instance, the film has received a PG-13 rating for "intense violent thematic material and disturbing images — all involving teens."
Earlier this week, hundreds of fans camped out in Los Angeles in hopes of winning tickets to Monday night's star-studded world premiere of The Hunger Games.
Based on the first instalment of the bestselling young adult book trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a dark, post-apocalyptic America ruled by a ruthless government.
The leaders keep the populace in line through brutal violence, perpetual food shortages and an annual lottery that selects one teen girl and boy from each region to participate in a televised fight to the death.
Directed by Gary Ross, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence — the young, Oscar-nominated lead actress from the bleak drama Winter's Bone — as Katniss Everdeen. A miner's daughter and gifted hunter, Katniss volunteers for the Hunger Games match after her younger sister's name is chosen to represent their poverty-stricken district.
The cast also includes Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland.
The film, expected to be one of the year's biggest box office draws, opens in wide release on March 23.