M3GAN required reshoots to get it down to a ‘tamer’ PG-13 rating, its director has revealed
The new sci-fi horror film tells the story of a killer doll that becomes overprotective of a young girl, with its trailer thrilling fans when it was first released online, driving hype.
Director Gerard Johnstone has now explained how some scenes were toned down to make sure that the movie could be seen by younger audiences – but he’s not mad about it at all.
In fact, he believes it made M3GAN both a better movie and a scarier one thanks to the power of suggestion and his brilliant sound team.
‘Making it PG-13 was something that happened after the fact, but it was always close to PG-13 anyway,’
Johnstone explained that the decision was made for it to be a PG-13 rated film in the US ‘after the fact’, but that it didn’t require too much of an overhaul as it was ‘always close to PG-13 anyway’.
The horror film has gone down the more ‘suggestive’ route in order to obtain a lower rating and allow younger teenage viewers (Picture: Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures)
It all starts off so well for Cady and her new AI doll, M3GAN… (Picture: Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures)
‘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 favourite 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,’ he told Total Film magazine.
Johnstone felt that the reshoots actually improved the quality of the film, which stars Girls actress Allison Williams and Violet McGraw, and pointed out that other successful horror flicks such as Get Out have had the ‘tamer’ rating.
‘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,’ he pointed out.
During the filming of the changed scenes he then realised how it would make much more of an impact on those watching the movie than he had first thought.
Alison Williams (R) as Gemma with co-stars Jen Van Epps and Brian Jordan Alvarez (Picture: Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures)
Director Gerard Johnstone said that some of his favourite horror films are also rated PG-13, like Drag Me to Hell (Picture: Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
Thanks to careful cuts and the ability of sound to inspire cinemagoers’ imaginations, Johnstone was excited to realise that it was, in his mind, now a more frightening film.
‘I remember turning to my sound designer after a re-do and just saying, “Holy s**t, that’s worse.” We were trying to get this PG-13 rating and I was like, “That is so much worse than what we had before.”’
M3GAN’s producers have also defended the movie from grumbles online that it’s lower rating means it somehow won’t be so good.
Some fans have been grumbling about what they saw as a ‘downgrade’, but M3GAN’s producers also dismissed the claim (Picture: Geoffrey Short/Universal Pictures)
‘Some of the scariest movies of all time are PG-13, so I don’t put too much stock in the bellyaching. Go see the movie, and then tell me about it,’ Jason Blum told The Hollywood Reporter.
James Wan added: ‘I’ve done PG-13 films and I’ve done R-rated films. So I think it’s about whatever is most suitable for the film, and even though M3GAN is a scary movie, teenagers will really dig this. They’ll really like it, and I think it will speak to them in a big way.’
Williams stars as robotics engineer Gemma, who gains custody of her niece Cady (McGraw) after her parents die.
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In order to cheer her up, she introduces her to an AI prototype doll called M3GAN she’s been working on, who she instructs to protect Cady from any physical or emotional harm.
Of course, in the spirit of past horror greats like Chucky, Slappy and Annabelle, things start to become creepy when there’s a doll involved…
M3GAN will be released in cinemas on January 13.
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‘I was really stoked about is that when we reshot those scenes, they were more effective,’ he said.
