Hunger Games Director Confirms His Films Earned R Ratings in Initial Cuts

All early cuts of the films embraced the grim subject matter.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

The series of The Hunger Games novels by author Suzanne Collins might have been aimed at young adults, but as they depicted teens battling to the death using all manner of weapons in a brutal dystopia, the stories contained some violent and gruesome sequences. While the cinematic adaptations of the books ultimately earned PG-13 ratings, director Francis Lawrence confirmed that all of the films he directed in the franchise initially earned R ratings from the MPA and they had to be meticulously toned down to earn the more teen-friendly rating. Lawrence's prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes hits theaters on November 17th.

Speaking with Jake's Takes about whether a Hunger Games movie could ever be rated R, Lawrence explained, "The truth is every Hunger Games movie that I've done has gotten an R rating at first. And we always have to inch it back and inch it back and inch it back, and go back and forth with the MPAA to sort of nudge it back into PG-13. So I'm always approaching it thinking we have to be PG-13, but we always end up getting an R first and have to inch it back."

As if the first The Hunger Games wasn't brutal enough, given that it established the premise of the franchise and the combatants fighting to the death, each successive entry had an even higher body count, as Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen inspired allies to rebel against a fascist government. Lawrence directed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.

The upcoming Ballads of Songbirds & Snakes similarly features grisly themes.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes follows a young Coriolanus (Tom Blyth) who is the last hope for his failing lineage, the once-proud Snow family that has fallen from grace in a post-war Capitol. With his livelihood threatened, Snow is reluctantly assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), a tribute from the impoverished District 12. But after Lucy Gray's charm captivates the audience of Panem, Snow sees an opportunity to shift their fates. With everything he has worked for hanging in the balance, Snow unites with Lucy Gray to turn the odds in their favor. Battling his instincts for both good and evil, Snow sets out on a race against time to survive and reveal if he will ultimately become a songbird or a snake.

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The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes hits theaters on November 17th.

Would you have liked to have seen R-rated versions of the films? Let us know in the comments!

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