CARA APPEALS BOARD OVERTURNS ‘R’ RATING FOR “ASTEROID CITY”

LOS ANGELES – The Classification and Rating Administration (CARA)’s Appeals Board on April 19 overturned the ‘R’ rating given to the movie “Asteroid City.” Prior to the appeal, “Asteroid City” was rated ‘R’ for brief graphic nudity. The film is now rated ‘PG-13’ on appeal for brief graphic nudity, smoking, and some suggestive material.

Wes Anderson, the director of “Asteroid City,” and Kiska Higgs, president of production at Focus Features, represented the appellant. Kelly McMahon, Chair of CARA, represented the rating
board.
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About the Appeals Process:
The Classification and Rating Administration’s Appeals Board is made up of members of the industry knowledgeable about the distribution and exhibition of motion pictures and whose sole mission is to maintain the integrity of the voluntary ratings system. A successful appeal requires a decisive two-thirds majority affirming that the rating is “clearly erroneous.” The overriding objective of the appeals process is to ensure that the rating system remains consistent and therefore credible. CARA reviews approximately 500-600 films each year. Usually less than five ratings a year are appealed.

For more information about the CARA Appeals process, please visit www.filmratings.com and click on “Ratings Guide” and the “Classification and Ratings Rules” tab.
For more information, contact:

Motion Picture Association – Washington, D.C.

Tom Zigo

(202) 378-9110

tom_zigo@motionpictures.org