In the grand scheme of things, Mark Wahlberg’s passion project Father Stu was far from being an abject failure, at least in terms of its commercial performance and subsequent surge on streaming.
The incredible true-life story brought in over $21 million at the box office on a $4 million budget to turn a hefty profit, which was just as well when the leading man and producer had funneled millions of his own dollars into the production. To put the cherry on the icing of the cake, Father Stu then became a smash hit on-demand by occupying a Top 10 spot on both Netflix and HBO Max at the same time.
However, a 42 percent Rotten Tomatoes score was underwhelming to say the least, with the consensus making it perfectly clear that no matter how much of his heart and soul he poured into Father Stu, Wahlberg was fatally miscast in the title role. And yet, Sony is refusing to let one of its most surprising success stories fade away, with content tracking website Kids in Mind revealing that a PG-13 cut of the film is heading back to theaters.
Whereas the original edit was R-rated for “language throughout, five sexual references, 51 scatological terms, 22 anatomical terms, and 16 mild obscenities” to name but a small few, the family-friendly Father Stu: Reborn has been awarded a much milder rating by virtue of cutting the filth down to “language, an accident scene, sexual references, some violence, and smoking”.
Is the world ready to see a remarkably unspectacular biopic all over again, especially when it’s already been a hit on both the big and small screens? Time will tell if Father Stu: Reborn is worth being taken back into the editing room.