Horror fans were far from pleased upon learning the much-hyped M3GAN was set to be released with only a PG-13 rating, but its director has guaranteed the decision resulted in it becoming a far scarier film.
The satirical horror comedy had received been revved up in horror circles after its first few trailers and fun marketing campaign, but saw a setback with the confirmation of a PG-13 rating. There has absolutely been some classics in the genre which aren’t too gruesome or bloody such as Arachnophobia and Drag Me to Hell, and director Gerard Johnstone told Gamesradar he hopes to follow in its legacy.
Johnstone says the PG-13 rating came “after the fact” but the film was always close to such a rating, with him citing his love of Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell as an inspiration for the subdued horror.
“Making it PG-13 was something that happened after the fact, but it was always so close to PG-13 anyway. It seemed kind of a mistake not to embrace it. I even remember thinking early on, ‘This could be PG-13, and some of my favorite films like Drag Me to Hell are PG-13.’ So we made the decision to go PG-13 and actually reshot a couple of things.”
Drag Me to Hell is an interesting comparison to make, because it is still a suitably spooky and confronting film. The ending of the film is often discussed for its nihilistic tone and suitably Raimi “no happy endings” element he enjoys in his horror. Johnstone also said the reshoots for the ratings allowed for a bit more innuendo in the horror, with the edits deciding the spooks more so than the visuals.
“What I was really stoked about is that when we reshot those scenes, they were more effective. It’s like ‘Yes, you do have to cut away at certain times’ but it’s fun having to rely on sound and suggestion so much.”
M3GAN will release Jan. 6, with it looking to dethrone Avatar atop the weekend’s box office.
