As of 2018, the Motion Picture Association (formally the Motion Picture Association of America) has given R-ratings to about 57 percent of the films they’ve rated, according to a report from THR.
That number makes it sound like getting an R-rated film made is easy.
However, with the advent of the PG-13 rating in 1984, slightly more mature films could get more viewers in theater seats, resulting in bigger ticket sales.
Though R-rated films continue to be produced, the big box office take is far more often from ones with a PG or PG-13 rating.
There is just a bigger audience, and an opportunity for a family night out with the kids, making them a safer bet for studios.This put Vin Diesel in a difficult position with his sci-fi/action “Riddick” films.
The first one, 2000’s R-rated “Pitch Black,” had a fairly small budget of around 23 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
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