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Hitman Being Edited From 'Explicitly Violent' to PG-13?! UPDATED!

by Alex Billington
October 10, 2007
Source: Twitch

Given the very last trailer for Hitman, I'm pretty confident that it might actually live up to the game and turn out to be really damn good. French director Xavier Gens seems like he wouldn't spare anything to make an all-out perfect Hitman movie complete with endless action and plenty of blood - and it sounds like that's what he did, until Fox decided to take over. A report from Twitch says that Fox has taken the film entirely out of his hands and given it to the same butcher who took Live Free or Die Hard and watered it down.

Twitch has heard from numerous reliable sources close to the film that this is unfortunately true. Gens' version of Hitman is apparently inspired by Asian action films like The Killer and A Bittersweet Life and the result is "an explicitly violent, very bloody cut of the film that apparently included a number of head shots and extreme gore moments that would have guaranteed the film a hard R rating." Hell yes - sounds like the perfect Hitman movie to me!

However, here's where things take a turn for the worst. Twitch reports that after the studio saw Gens' cut of the film they decided to remove him entirely from the project and place Nicolas De Toth in control of a new edit of the film. Never heard of him? He's the same guy who did the edit on Live Free or Die Hard, "a job he was hired for specifically to turn in an entirely bloodless version of the film." So apparently Fox is doing the same thing - they're editing Hitman down into a bloodless, half-assed version of what actually was a great film.

I can't hold it in anymore: WHAT THE FUCK FOX?! Since very early on writing here I've disliked 20th Century Fox and over the summer it got pretty bad. I really did not enjoy Live Free or Die Hard and was even more turned off by its clearly blatant editing down to a PG-13 level. I thought Hitman might be a great film but now I'm very annoyed to hear that Fox is watering it down!

We'll keep you updated on this and more details if they ever are confirmed. If this really is the case and Fox is turning it into a PG-13 pile of crap, then I'm not going to encourage anyone to go see it. Don't waste your money, don't support Fox.

UPDATE (Oct 11): Twitch and IGN have both heard from Fox and they confirm that the film will still be rated R. While Fox does confirm that De Toth has been brought onto the project, he apparently is only a "consultant and not an editor." The reps at Fox claim that "the film still has intense action and will definitely be rated 'R.'"

Twitch brings up the next few important questions. "If Gens is still in control why was an outside 'consultant' brought in to go over the edit of the film at all, and which of the two actually has more power considering that Gens is currently not even on this continent while De Toth is working away?"

Explore tags: Hype, Movie News, Opinions, Rumors

akumared

ooh hell no..... i can't believe those A-HOLES at fox are going to this to hitman. i was looking forward to go and see this movie mainly because of it's ties with the games dark and violent character. Now, what am i going to look forward to? a water down action flick that could have been a good kick ass movie. Just look at movies like "shoot'em up". That movie did not shy away from it's violent protagonist or bloody story line. If you guys at fox studios make this a PG13 movie, then i hope you burn in hell...
http://www.patfoster.com Heckle

OMG....I will not pay to see this film if its PG13. HITMAN is a R Rated game. It should not be a PG13 movie.
Heckle

HEy just got an idea for FOX....lets remake Natural Born Killers, Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado, and Saving Private Ryan and make them all PG13.
Richard

for f's sake are you serious? dammit oh well ill buy the directors cut dvd
Mike G

This TV Spot says differently: http://www.iklipz.com/MovieDetail.aspx?MovieID=a59551f6-8888-4492-8fbe-670bea86b66c
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Hmmm... interesting about the TV spot. It's an awesome trailer, I ran an article about it here: http://www.firstshowing.net/2007/10/05/must-watch-hitman-actually-looks-damn-good/ But I don't know why it says R. The MPAA hasn't officially released the rating anywhere, it's not on IMDB or MPAA's ratings site or anything. I am guessing they're going for an appeal to get it down to PG-13 before it comes out at Thanksgiving - that's why they moved it.
Merrick

I just hope, if all this is true, that they let Xavier Gens vision of Hitman out on dvd. But knowing fox, must likely not. I feel sorry for the actors and crew involved. They did a probably (most likely) kick ass movie and fox f*cked it up for them.
http://www.napiersnews.blogspot.com Napier's News

Despite the major let down in violence I still enjoyed Live Free or Die Hard. Yes it would have been much better if there was more blood and foul language but overall the adrenaline was pumping for me at least. I am hoping and praying they do not mess up this movie as you are reporting. The trailer is AWESOME and the film looks to have potential unless Fox messes this one up too.
Mike G

IGN says it's still R: http://movies.ign.com/articles/826/826204p1.html
CDZ

They just turned it into another video game movie, and they're usually never good. Count me out unless the R version is out there for the taking.
Mark

GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY GAY. Why does Fox feel they can't make movies for a badass public? This is another step towards the ongoing pussification of our society. Why don't they just change the title to Cupcakeman? And the barcode on the back of his head can get replaced with a teddy bear tattoo. He'll go around delivering cupcakes to mafiosos who instead of organizing crime, organize fun games of musical chairs. And you know what Fox, I don't think there should be guns in it. Guns are too violent. Why can't we just use slingshots to shoot the cupcakes at people? I'm going to go put a fox logo on a cupcake and run over it with a semi. Because that'll probably be more violence than will be in Hitman.
Cindie

For all you " bad asses" out there.. why don't you join the armed forces, and put your anger to some good use and help protect your country. Sounds like you have alot of pent up anger just dieing to come out. Use it in a positive way. This kind of crap is EXACTLY what we DON'T need to be watching. There is enough violence in the world already.
Cox

I really cant verbalize my rage rite now, i truly cant, i have been waiting for this movie since I heard of it at the start of the year. The trailer says its R 18, what the hell? Why is a movie based on a R 18 game rated PG Dear people at fox.. Die in a fire That is all
Neil

@ Cindie What's wrong with on screen violence? It's nothing new. Not by a longshot. (see: Takashi Miike) For the sake of entertainment, this movie could be THAT game movie which finally matches the game and makes everyone happy. The game is violent, and the movie should follow suit. If you don't like it, don't play/watch it. I'm sure you've got some favorite movies that I'm going to steer clear of, but it's not like I'm going to condemn say, a love movie saying that it 'provides people with a fictional outlook on life which in turn, might lead to depression when people think that things like that will happen to them in their lifetime, and are disappointed to find out that movies are different from life'
Lucius

Join the armed forces? Sorry, I would but don't want to be involved in illegal wars and foolish notions our government is betraying us with.
Cindieisamoron

Oh, Cindie - your backwards rhetoric smells of Neocon. Wait, so there's enough violence in the world, so join the armed forces? What's so positive about getting shipped off to whoknowswhereville to get shot at or shoot at people because your country tells you you're supposed to? Because of "terra"? Because terrorists "hate our freedom?" And if the implication is that our soldiers are fighting for our "freedom", that would include having freedom of choice, no? So if you have a problem with watching this kind of "crap", you're FREE to NOT WATCH IT. And if you have a problem with kids seeing it, let their parents DO THEIR JOB. If you want freedom, you need to accept all of what's laid out in our Constitution, not just the parts you like.
pwnd3r

No!!!!!!! WTF!!!!! WHY FOX, WHY?! How are you going to make a movie about a hitman thats PG-13?? Do you know what a hitman is? Do you realize what they do? Fox is a bunch of idiots.
John

Wow, what an ignorant response Cindie - Post 11, these are valid responses to Fox doing something they shouldn't. And you attack them for posting their opinions towards that end. If this story is true, Fox will once again be ruining what could be a very good movie, and that's a great reason to complain about it. Anyone who's played Hitman knows that the game is Rated M for Mature, and a movie based off of it should be Rated R, not PG-13 because they(Fox) think more teenagers will go see it and parents will send their kids[If you're the type of parent who's that concerned about Violence WHY WOULD YOU SEND A KID TO WATCH A MOVIE CALLED HITMAN anyhow]. This is not a kid-flick, it shouldn't be marketed as one, the game was not for kids. Hinting at Violence is just as bad as performing violence, if you don't have the stomach to watch some guy get his head blown off, don't go see a movie that's probably destined to have that as a scene in it. Here's a news flash, if a kid wants to go see this movie, they've probably played the game(and probably others) already meaning they've already been exposed to more blood and gore then most movies. As far as us "bad asses" going out and joining the armed forces to put our anger to some good use. The world's not a nice place, open up a newspaper, check a few news websites. Hollywood doesn't create the violence, it may sensationalize it at times, but frankly if it sells, that says more about humanity than anything. Hiding Violence doesn't prevent it from happening. Censorship is stupid, this isn't China..not yet at least(thank god). And acting like the worlds problems would go away if the media stopped producing movies with gore in them is just foolish. Say what you want, but I take great enjoyment out of watching Hollywood movies do things I'd love to do on some deep, dark sadistic level of my soul, but never would because of the repercussions that would ensue. Point in case, Shoot 'Em Up, I loved the scene where Clive Owen's character ran the asshole driver off the road for not using turn signals when weaving in and out of traffic, I would have loved to have been able to do that, and that's one of the reasons I liked the movie, because it made me feel a connection to the movie in some strange way. Obviously, I would never do something like that in reality because of the consequences that would ensue, but I found it funny to see some asshole driver finally get a taste of karma(I'll admit I transposed that sports car in the movie to a cab driver out here in Las Vegas...They're FARKING NUTS here). Even if it was only Hollywood acting and cheap humor I enjoyed the scene and enjoyed the movie. The point I'm making is that movies with Violence in them sell for a reason, and it's not just that we're bad people. Sometimes it's just good stress relief, I'd rather watch 100 people die in a movie then watch 1 person die in the real world. The movie in question, Hitman, is obviously not about Barney and SpongeBob, if you have a problem with this type of movie, don't watch it. But don't go trolling people who are willing to acknowledge something that you are too cowardly to admit, THE WORLD'S NOT A NICE PLACE. Violence Sells, Sex Sells, denying something that is true doesn't make it any less true, it just makes you a liar.
FuckFox

BULL FUCKING SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK! I've played Hitman since the first one...and Blood Money was at the top of it's game, and this movie has just looked shit, then good because of the sheer violence, and now it's going to get edited down. Great. When this fucking movie comes out I'm not even going to want to hear about this piece of shit.
47

Remember the very fist mission in the very first game 7 years ago? Accepting the contract, climbing into that old cast iron elevator? Walking across the roof, assembling the rifle and putting the crosshairs over the target, waiting for just the right second to take that head shot? Then fast forward to the last mission in the newest game. Having some hot chick breath life back into your body and leaving two ballers on your chest to wake up and kill everyone at the funeral? Yeah. Fox, guess who’s going to go watch this movie? That’s right, the people who played the games. How are you planning on giving the same rush and violence as the situations in the game when you are appealing to a pg-13 audience? How the fuck is he going to kill people? Are we even going to get to see it? Is he going to laugh them to death? Funny man! When the second game came out I thought to myself, wow it would be wicked sick if HBO made a series for this. With some good actors and writers this could have been a long running show. And with there budget they could have shot in real locations and made this huge. Its ok though cause now we are getting an hour and a half watered down, PG-13, edited to shit movie, disgracing an amazing 4 game franchise @ Cindie. You’re an idiot.
Ethan

http://www.petitiononline.com/HitmanR/petition.html Time to petition.
lame

Fox = New Disney.
well doesnt that suck

i know im still going to see it but i wish i wouldnt of known it was going to be rated r and then watered down to pg-13, now im going to feel like theres something missing. hitman was a damn good game and i hope its a damn good movie, the lead actor has a funny shaped head though, but nonetheless looks bitchen... the movie, not his head. and im also glad they didnt pick The Rock to play the role.
Enola

I HATE the BOX Company, fuck them up their stupid asses...
Joe

Read the article at IGN. They're pretty much debunking this rating change.
Joe

nevermind. it's been updated on this page, finally.
Damon Peoples

ROID RAGES CEASE! It's just a movie conversion of a heartless game. You guys want violence and an R won't let that happen. I understand that. But you all are jumping to the conclusion that this was going to be a good movie anyways. I think this is putting your passions way before reasonable perspective. Yeah, we wanna see the "ballers". Yeah, we wanna hear the orchestral score set to blazing gunfire. But c'mon... is this movie really something to get so worked up that people should burn in hell and get fucked in their asses. Alex Billington, do you have insider looks of this film that we are unaware of, because you did claim that this is Fox killing a great movie, just like Live Free or Die Hard. How do you know that... and how do you know the directors cut of Die Hard 4 is any better, content wise? Blood is nice in a fetish way, but a movie shouldn't hinge on it. If a guy comes in and edits out the blood and it sucks, then the story or direction sucked. I mean, isn't that what you've said in the past, you know, that its got to have an excellent story first or you can't do anything with it, especially in re-make terms. I think you link to a site for "remake rules" that says the same just recently. The only recent movie that "needed" to be made with a hard R(slash NC-17) was Natural Born Killers, and that's only because it was a parody of violence and media. Kill Bill, Saving Private Ryan, etc. could have been made without all the blood and still have been awesome. That's because they were made with quality. That is something I'm afraid this film ain't going to have. I love blood and the gutteral rush of arterial spray, but it ain't gonna make or break a movie. Just ask Uwe Boll.
Tiffany

I have seen this article on searchingmillionaire.com. It's a dating site for celebrities and wealthy people. Not sure who posted it there. Many people think it should not be a pg13 movie there.
http://www.darkflame.co.uk Darkflame

Why do people think blood and gore makes films better I will never know. Sure, its stupid to edit it out, but it dosnt make or break a film. Die Hard 4/Live Free was fantasic it was just FUN. Anyone actualy remember stuff like Story? Dialogue? things that *actualy* matter. Gezz...all I ever here is whining these days about things not being as higher rating as possible.
http://www.darkflame.co.uk darkflame@gmail.com

"I just hope, if all this is true, that they let Xavier Gens vision of Hitman out on dvd." oh, there will be a so-called unedited or extra-violent DVD whatever. Its great marketing. Edit it out, Edit it in, Claim its the more true version, rack up more sales.