We're just a few months ahead of the long-awaited premiere of The Batman, and the official rating has just come in for the film. As expected, The Batman has officially been rated PG-13. Per FilmRatings.com, the PG-13 rating is for "strong violent and disturbing content, drug content, strong language, and some suggestive material."
Because Warner Bros. would want a big-budget film like this to be seen by as large of an audience as possible, it always seemed most likely that The Batman would be rated PG-13. There were some early rumors of an R rating and some fans may have presumed the success of Joker could have led to The Batman getting a similar rating. While the film isn't quite as violent as to warrant an R rating, it nevertheless looks to push the boundaries of that PG-13 rating with the way "Vengeance" pummels helpless henchmen in the trailer, not to mention that the film follows a sadistic serial killer.
Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman stars Robert Pattinson as the newest big screen version of Bruce Wayne. The film has no connection to any DCEU movies and is set in its own standalone universe with no Justice League or anyone else to call for help when a psychotic serial killer known as the Riddler (Paul Dano) starts terrorizing Gotham City. The film also stars Zoe Kravits as Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot aka Penguin, John Turturro as Carmine Falcone, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and Jeffrey Wright as Jim Gordon.
Catwoman Plays a Big Part in the Story
Much of the recent marketing for The Batman has focused on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. While Bruce and Selina have their differences, they may need to come together to put a stop to the Riddler's madness in the new film. Kravitz has also referred to The Batman as an origin story for her Catwoman, teasing that more could be explored with her in the inevitable sequel as well.
“This is an origin story for Selina," the actress told Empire. "So, it’s the beginning of her figuring out who she is, beyond just someone trying to survive. I think there’s a lot of space to grow and I think we are watching her become what I’m sure will be the femme fatale.”
Of how she prepared for her role as a cat burglar with a thing for cats, Kravitz added, "We watched cats and lions and how they fight, and talked about what is actually possible when you’re my size, and Batman’s so much stronger than me. What is my skill? It’s being fast and tricky. So we did some really interesting floor work that incorporated different kinds of martial arts and capoeira and a kind of feline, dance-like movement.”
The Batman will be released in movie theaters on March 4, 2022. Exactly 45 days after it premieres in theaters, the movie will start streaming on HBO Max.