Deadpool 2’s PG-13 Christmas Cut Is Now Almost Impossible to Watch

Once Upon a Deadpool, the PG-13 Christmas-themed cut of Deadpool 2, is now only available to watch on Blu-ray. Back in May 2018, the original version of Deadpool 2 hit theaters, continuing the R-rated mayhem established in the franchise’s first installment. With Ryan Reynolds once again leading another delightfully profane and violent superhero flick, Deadpool 2 earned positive reviews and grossed $734.5 million at the worldwide box office in its original run. That figure wasn’t as high as its 2016 predecessor ($782.8 million), but it illustrated the Merc with a Mouth was in high demand.

Rather than simply celebrate Deadpool 2‘s success, 20th Century Fox decided to offer a double helping of the film. When Alita: Battle Angel was delayed from December 2018 to February 2019, it left a void on the studio’s schedule during the busy holiday season. In place of Alita slid Once Upon a Deadpool, a special PG-13 rated edition of the blockbuster. On-paper, it sounds like the perfect addition for a Marvel fan’s holiday movie rotation, but there’s just one problem. Once Upon a Deadpool is not available to stream anywhere (it can’t even be purchased on a digital store). The only option people have is to pick up a Blu-ray copy.

What’s Different in Once Upon a Deadpool?

Perhaps the biggest change Once Upon a Deadpool makes is the addition of a framing device where Deadpool tells the events of Deadpool 2 to Fred Savage — an obvious riff on The Princess Bride, where a young Savage played a child whose grandfather read him the fantastical story. Savage is actually in a decent chunk of the re-cut, having an amusing dynamic with Ryan Reynolds. Their scenes serve as a way to provide classic Deadpool-style meta commentary about the Deadpool 2 plot, most notably addressing the “fridging” controversy surrounding Vanessa’s death.

[Related: Ryan Reynolds Weighs in on Deadpool as a Christmas Movie]

Of course, as a PG-13 film, Once Upon a Deadpool is forced to substantially water down much of the original version’s content. The action sequences — designed with the R rating in mind — are altered to remove the excess gore and blood. Once Upon a Deadpool also censors much of the adult language present in Deadpool 2; the Motion Picture Association is strict about how many F-bombs a PG-13 movie can get away with. Your mileage may vary on how effective Once Upon a Deadpool is at repackaging Deadpool 2 for a more family-friendly audience. While it can be funny in some parts, the overall movie (understandably) feels choppy.

Once Upon a Deadpool Boosted Deadpool 2’s Box Office

Deadpool 2 was a big box office hit, but studios can never make enough money. During the film’s initial run, Fox missed out on tapping into the lucrative Chinese film market, as Deadpool 2 was prohibited from playing in the country due to its R-rated material. Once Upon a Deadpool was a way for the studio to get approval from the censors. The PG-13 cut opened in China in January 2019, grossing $42.4 million. That accounted for nearly all of the film’s international haul of $45.2 million. Once Upon a Deadpool may have even opened the door for the franchise to find solid footing in China; Deadpool & Wolverine played there with “minimal cuts.”

Unsurprisingly, China is where Once Upon a Deadpool made most of its money, as it was a new thing for that audience. Even with Fred Savage, there wasn’t enough there to warrant another trip to the theater in other countries (especially since the R-rated Deadpool 2 was already widely available on home media at this point). In its domestic opening weekend, Once Upon a Deadpool debuted in 12th place with $2.6 million. Still, the re-release helped push Deadpool 2 to over $785 million worldwide, eclipsing Deadpool‘s haul.

Where to Buy Once Upon a Deadpool on Blu-ray

For those interested, the Once Upon a Deadpool Blu-ray is still in print and readily available for purchase online at stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Target. If you’d rather relish in Wade Wilson’s R-rated glory, all three Deadpool films are streaming on Disney+.