Ryan, I get what you’re saying. If I still don’t completely agree. I don’t think there’s much snogging in the film anyway, it’s more the development and progress of relationships and such done in a more comedic way (a la GOF).

Guys, people flock to see PG movies. Let’s see… the original “Star Wars” trilogy (as other commenters haved noted) and the first two prequels were PG-rated and those made big bucks. Not to mention the “Shrek” series, which have been very profitable for the studios involved.

I highly doubt HBP has been compromised by the studio to draw in younger audiences — Warners has let the producers and the directors involved with the series have free reign. I bet anything that Yates shot and edited HBP with a PG-13 rating in mind — he had already completed the picture before it was even submitted to the MPAA. I guess the MPAA was too desensitized to the violence in the torture-horror genre and just gave HBP a PG rating.

While PG-13 may be the most desired rating for the younger teenage demographic, it does NOT signify that will mean a higher box-office gross or whether a director has “final cut approval” (plenty of movies have been butchered from originally R-rated aimed material to PG-13, i.e. Die Hard 4). Same goes for PG — it doesn’t mean that the studio cut the more disturbing images out for a more kid-friendly audience.

Lots of people will see HBP despite the PG rating. Warners stands to make a huge profit in the summer either way.

OMG I just realized this means they won’t have Sectumsempra, which is possibly the craziest scene in the book! WHAT THE?!

Sectumsempra is in the film. And it’s supposed to be quite bloody…

I agree with those who said that Prince Caspian should have been rated PG13. When I went to see it, I saw this girl who looked about 8 and her dad covered her eyes during a preview that contained a good bit of violence. I was thinking to myself, “Um, you’re probably going to do that throughout half of the movie.”

I think people generally assume PG is geared more toward the friendly side, but if you read the details on what the ratings mean (http://mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp), the rating for HBP doesn’t seem ridiculously out of line. But if I were to rate it, I would still feel that a PG13 rating would be more appropriate.

Now I’m interested to see how they can have scenes that are confirmed to be in the film and get a PG rating. But we’ll just have to wait and see the movie to understand the rating.

Don’t blame WB, they could be as shocked as we are about the rating. The WB could still appeal if they want it to be PG-13. I don’t think they purposely toned it down for the little kids. It is possible that the MPAA is just more desensitized than they were in the past.

This was the only book i actually got scared reading!!! I will be very disappointed if i do not feel that same sense of fear in the film! I mean… dead people crawling out of a lake in a creepy cave to pull harry under the water should be more than frightning, and if not, this scene was not given the justice it deserves! THIS SHOULD BE A “CLASSIC” HORROR SCENE! Im not one of those people hungry for violence but im worried that if a six year old can see it, that him and i probably dont have the same sense of fear! THIS REALLY WORRIES ME!!! For goodness sakes… the characters are TEENAGERS! Yes, harry potter CAN be family films for all ages (some more than others), but i’ve always thought that the books AND films took a darker step after #4 cuz this is when voldemort actually returns (or even just look at the thickness of the books. lol. but… its true because theyre not so easy for a 8 yr. old to tackle too quickly). I hate to sound like a jerk… but the “kiddies” can watch the first three films for now… theyll all grow up eventually! But harry is 16! He doesnt just fight the giant snakes and cloaked guys who suck happiness! (even if they were as mildly intense as the are.) Whether WB did this for a bigger audience, or not… i cant hope to guess. And I hope that there isnt a prejudice that says that the films are losing their intensity. Sure… the film still has potential to be great no matter the rating. Ok… it WILL be great! (but im starting to think the anticipation is slowly eating at my head…)

That’s bizarre…I don’t think that PG movies are somehow less awesome, but it seems like they would have to leave some things out in order for HBP to be rated PG. That’s what concerns me.

Holy Snickers! This is an uproar! I have a feeling that the majority of you are ASSuming. Dont do that. BAD IDEA! We know what has been confirmed the movie looks extremely dark , we know we have seen a few versions of the trailors by now. I too think it should be PG-13 and maybe it still is, this could very well be a big rumor. If not that does not mean its going to be absolutely bad and childish and kid worthy. I know it was the seventies but Jaws of all movies was PG. PG! JAWS- we see a head in a boat, a boy get eaten, a severed leg, Quint gets eaten right in front of us, Brody says " Smile you son of a Witch with a B.", they drink ……, So its not an end to the world. POA was really dark IMO. And that could have gotten a PG-13 rating if it wanted. So calm down. Relax. Im sure we will hear more about it, and nothing drastic was changed just because its PG.

I am not happy about this. HBP is my second if not my favorite book in the series and it is far more violent and frightening that the previous five are. With a PG rating I’m sure there will be even more children there now, and as I sat behind a 4-year-old during OOTP who screamed from beginning to end and I am not very happy. At this point the movies are not for small children. Since Harry Potter came out when I was 12 and I am part of the original HP audience, please let me enjoy the films…

Oh God No!!! What the f!!!!
I wanted R rating. Anyway, parents will be very happy with this.

I doubt HP will ever get an R rating because WB is promoting it as a family film…

DO NOT WANT.

I’m still going to watch of course, but really? How the hell is GoF a PG-13 while HBP isn’t? That makes no sense. While we’re at it, lets make part 2 of DH rated G.

BellaSnape, it’s not a rumor. The MPAA isn’t the kind of people you’d have pulling pranks on film ratings, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” has a PG rating. (At least for now, if Warners can appeal for a PG-13 rating, they can do so — I can’t see them encountering resistance like the filmmakers of “This Film Has Not Been Rated” when they submitted TFHNBR for an MPAA rating.)

Although the uproar over the PG rating is silly — why are fans thinking Warners is softening HBP up? If anything, their profits went up when GOF and OOTP got the higher PG-13 ratings — I think they’re just as surprised as everyone else is at the MPAA’s judgment.