Bad News: Venom Movie Won't Be R-Rated
Good News: It's under two hours long.
In news that's disappointing, if not at all surprising, it's been confirmed that Sony's upcoming Venom movie will have a PG-13 rating.
The character is known for the high levels of violence and gore he brings, and an R-rating would've meant they were really going all-out in that regard, although there have been doubts for some time over whether Sony would really want to take such a risk.
As it happens, they don't, although it's expected the film will still push the boundaries of what a PG-13 can get away with, and the trailer has shown off some moments of gore and body horror elements alongside its dark humour.
No official reason has been given, but the softer rating does allow the movie to play to a broader audience, increasing its box-office chances, while keeping the door open for Spider-Man later down the line, which is harder to do if Venom is R-rated. Indeed, Fandango's Erik Davis has heard that's the main reason for the rating:
In better news, though, the movie's official runtime has been released, clocking in at 1 hour 52 minutes. In an age when most blockbusters run well over two hours and could do with some trimming, that's to be applauded and suggests it won't be a bloated affair.
Venom will be released on October 5.
How do you feel about the rating and runtime? Let us know down in the comments.