"It has graphic nudity and it is PG-13?": Wes Anderson fans confused as Asteroid City gets PG-13 rating

Asteroid City is now a PG-13 movie, overturning the R-certification given to it in February. Helmed by Wes Anderson, the MPA rated the film R for "brief graphic nudity" last week. Subsequently, its distributor Focus Features filed an appeal asking for a PG-13 stamp and the appeal came through in their favor.

The MPA, in its fresh certification, attests to the PG-13 rating, while maintaining the stance that the film includes "brief graphic nudity, smoking, and some suggestive material."

As soon as Discussing Film made the news public, fans reacted to the same on Twitter. They wondered how Asteroid City managed to get a PG-13 rating from the trade association despite it having "brief graphic nudity."

Fan reacting to certification news. (Image via Twitter)

Apart from being the director, Wes Anderson is also the screenplay and co-story writer of the upcoming sci-fi drama. Roman Coppola, his frequent collaborator, is the other scribe for the feature.

Before its theatrical premiere, the forthcoming movie will air at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, slated to be held from May 16 to 27, 2023. It will compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the event.

"Kids won't even be safe in PG-13 films" - Fans lash out at Asteroid City's PG-13 rating

A scene from Asteroid City. (Image via YouTube/Focus Features)

Asteroid City boasts a stellar cast comprising Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, and Adrien Brody, among others.

Tilda Swinton, Maya Hawke, Bryan Cranston, Steve Carell, Edward Norton, Tony Revolori, and Jeff Goldblum, are some of the other actors set to appear in the film. Set in a fictional American desert town in 1955, the film deals with a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention that gets "spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events."

The trailer, dropped in March, showcased glimpses of the same, and ended with Johansson's character asking Jason Schwartzman's character if he'd be interested to see her "nude scene." While this particular sequence wasn't shown in the promotional clip, it's guessed that this was the "brief graphic nudity" MPA had an issue with initially.

As soon as the R-certification was overturned, fans took to the comments section of the pop culture portal's post and shared their views about the same. They wondered how this decision was made as the film didn't censor the scene in question.

Fans reacting to certification news. (Image via Sportskeeda)

Fans confused about certification news. (Image via Sportskeeda)

Notably, principal photography for the film commenced in Spain in August 2021 and wrapped up by October. The Spanish town of Chinchón served as a primary location for the romantic comedy-drama.

Asteroid City will have a limited theatrical outing on June 16, 2023, before a full-blown premiere a week later.