Harvey Weinstein knows he can be temperamental, and he knows he's not above a good publicity stunt, but he said Thursday his complaints over an R rating for his company's upcoming trans teen family story "3 Generations" are worth the effort on behalf of prospective young trans viewers.
Starring Elle Fanning as a girl who wants to transition, the Motion Picture Association of America assigned the restrictive R based on strong language, including some sexual references. The film, which opens with a limited release in Los Angeles and New York on May 5, also stars Naomi Watts and Susan Sarandon.
The dust up is similar to Weinstein's ratings complaint for "Bully" in 2012. The Weinstein Company successfully challenged that film's R rating and the MPAA knocked it down to PG-13.
"I am not complaining about it when we do a horror movie, you know, when we do 'It Follows.' We understand we live by the rules," Weinstein said. "When the movie has something of social importance to say, I think it's important that we stand up. I admit that I'm temperamental but nevertheless I try to fight for good. This is insane."
The MPAA released a statement Thursday saying the rating system is designed to give parents consistent information about the content in a film and that it does update the system as attitudes change.
"None of the ratings indicate whether a film is good, bad, or otherwise, nor is (its) purpose to prescribe social policy," the statement said. "This system has withstood the test of time because, as American parents' sensitivities change, so too does the rating system."
Weinstein has been accused of publicity-seeking through ratings complaints in the past. In this case, he said, an R rating would mean trans youth under 17 without adult accompaniment could not see the story of a New York family struggling with the transition of Fanning's character, Ray.
"Honestly, this is not a publicity attempt," Weinstein said. "If it was I'd just say so because I don't care. I find nothing wrong with seeking publicity. This is issue oriented."
Sarah Kate Ellis, president of the LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD, sent a letter earlier this week to MPAA officials urging reconsideration of the R rating.
"All that differentiates the film from other PG-13 films is a few instances of strong language," she said in the letter. "The film does not include graphic violence, drug use, or nudity – it merely portrays a modern family."
Apple sells $46 billion worth of iPhones over the summer as AI helps end slump
Apple snapped out of a recent iPhone sales slump during its summer quarter, an early sign that its recent efforts to revive demand for its marquee product with an infusion of artificial intelligence are paying off.
Sales of the iPhone totaled $46.22 billion for the July-September period, a 6% increase from the same time last year, according to Apple's fiscal fourth-quarter report released Thursday. That improvement reversed two consecutive year-over-year declines in the iPhone's quarterly sales.
The iPhone boost helped Apple deliver total quarterly revenue and profit that exceeded the analyst projections that sway investors, excluding a one-time charge of $10.2 billion to account for a recent European Union court decision that lumped the Cupertino, California, company with a huge bill for back taxes.
Apple earned $14.74 billion, or 97 cents per share, a 36% decrease from the same time last year. If not for the one-time tax hit, Apple said it would have earned $1.64 per share — topping the $1.60 per share predicted by analysts, according to FactSet Research. Revenue rose 6% from last year to $94.93 billion, about $400 million more than analysts forecast.
But investors evidently were hoping for an even better quarter and appeared disappointed by an Apple forecast that implied its revenue for the October-December quarter covering the holiday shopping season might not grow as robustly as analysts envisioned. Apple's stock price shed about 2% in Thursday's extended trading, leaving the shares hovering around $221 — well below their peak of about $237 reached in mid-October.
The latest quarterly results captured the first few days that consumers were able to buy a new iPhone 16 line-up that included four different models designed... Read More