Andy Serkis says Venom: Let There Be Carnage pushes the boundaries of its PG-13 rating

Fans were left a little disappointed that Venom: Let There Be Carnage was graced with a PG-13 rating rather than going for a hard R-rating given the villain that’s being featured in the Venom sequel. The fact of the matter is, a PG-13 rating means more money at the box office from the target demographic but director Andy Serkis wants to assure fans that the film pushes its PG-13 rating to its very limits.

During a chat with IGN, Serkis spoke of striking the right balance between violence and broad appeal for the audience. The director says getting the PG-13 rating was necessary to reach the viewers that they wanted but when it comes to toeing the line with PG-13 mass appeal and violence, he believes they accomplished quite a lot:

“You could go down an R-rated adult version of this. Of course you could. You could have done that with the last film. But we wanted to reach a big audience with this and… there are several rules you have to abide by. However, having said that, I think we have pushed to the very limits [with] the danger and darkness and the threat and the menace of Carnage. […] Just because you don’t see so much gore — perhaps there’s not so much blood or… seeing heads being bitten off — you can still suggest that. The suggestion, leaving it to the audience’s imagination, can be just as powerful. I think that’s just what we managed to do. It’s certainly not shying away from the darkness. And the real heart of Carnage as a character isn’t compromised at all.”

Venom: Let There Be Carnage earned the PG-13 rating “for intense sequences of violence and action, some strong language, disturbing material, and suggestive references.” In a similar fashion, 2018’s Venom was rated PG-13 “for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, and for language”. While a PG-13 rating makes sense for financial purposes, since it opens the film up more to be seen by the target demographic, a lot of fans were hoping for a more adult-oriented, R-rated film. Given the fact that the movie fully introduces Cletus Kasady, aka Carnage, there was a belief that his serial killer origins would lend itself more to an R-rating. 

Directed by Andy Serkis with a screenplay from Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock/Venom alongside Woody Harrelson, who is bringing one of Venom’s biggest adversaries, Cletus Kasady/Carnage, to life. Kasady is a psychotic serial killer who also becomes the host of an alien symbiote known as Carnage. Also new to the franchise is Naomie Harris, playing the role of Shriek, Kasady’s love interest. Michelle Williams returns as Eddie’s ex-fiancee, district attorney Anne Weying, while Reid Scott rounds out the cast as Anne’s boyfriend. 

What are YOUR thoughts on Venom: Let There Be Carnage pushing the boundary of its PG-13 rating? The Venom sequel hits screens on October 15, 2021.