James Gunn's THE SUICIDE SQUAD Will Be Rated R and DC is Planning on More R-Rated Films

It looks like DC and Warner Bros. are going to start making more and more R-rated comic book films. Joker ended up being a huge success, the upcoming Birds of Prey movie is getting slapped with an R-rating, and now Variety has revealed that director James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad will also be rated R.

WhileThe Suicide Squad will be rated R, the film is still going to be filled with some great humor. Actor Joel Kinnaman recently talked about the film saying, “It’s so funny… I feel like I’m shooting my first comedy. There are a lot of really funny people there. It’s like a learning experience. I’m around a lot of incredible funny people.”

It will be the same with Birds of Prey. Insiders describe the film has “a more humorous, spirited, girl gang adventure, albeit not one for younger children. A series of recent reshoots dramatically improved test screening results and the studio is confident Birds of Prey will be a hit when it opens in February.” I’m curious to see how this film does, especially after Charlie’s Angels bombed.

Anyway, the studio is planning on more of these R-rated comic book movies because with Disney buying Fox, this is a market that WB can fill. Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations says:

“There’s a huge appetite for R-rated superhero movies and if Marvel isn’t going to step up, that presents an opening for DC to tap into that audience.”

I don’t necessarily agree with that. The rating is not what makes a movie good! I wouldn’t say there’s a huge appetite for R-rated superhero films. I would say there’s a huge market for superhero films that tell great stories! If the story is good people will show up to watch it. If you have an R-rated film with a shitty story, which is what a lot of fans think Bird’s of Prey is going to be, then people won’t show up.

What are your thoughts on The Suicide Squad shooting for an R-rating and Warner Bros. wanting to make more R-rated DC movies?