Blood and Disney don’t exactly go hand in hand, as the family-friendly entertainment behemoth tends to shy away from exposing the gritty underbelly of humanity. Deadpool 3 is expected to change that when it premieres in theaters next May, becoming the first rated-R movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perhaps the Merc has emboldened Disney to embrace some blood splatter every now and then, because if the rumors surrounding the re-release of Werewolf by Night are true, the 54-minute special will keep its TV-14 rating and any bloodshed therein will be visible in vivid red color.
In case you missed the news, Disney is releasing Werewolf by Night to Disney Plus just in time for its annual “Hallowstream” event, aptly titled Werewolf by Night in Color. Whereas the original had only splashes of color strategically placed here and there, this 2023 special will be available to viewers in full technicolor, which may or may not be to its detriment.
The black-and-white cinematography of the original set the TV movie apart from its superhero brethren. Critics praised Marvel for harkening back to the classic days of horror and implementing a level of artistry often lost amidst the formulaic redundancy the studio has churned out in recent years.
Although the blood and gore in Werewolf by Night is a fraction of what one can expect in, say, a Deadpool movie, it can’t be forgotten that at one point Jack Russel (Gael García Bernal) in werewolf form rips a guy’s chest apart so violently that blood flies forward and splatters the camera lens. Yet, according to rumors from a source that claims to have confirmed with Disney, that isn’t enough to change its TV-14 rating.
Of course, any rating higher than TV-14 would put the special at TV-MA, which is intended for audiences over the age of 17. That feels a tad like overkill for this particular outing, so we understand Marvel’s decision to stick with the same. Nevertheless, many reviewers on Common Sense Media, a parental guide to screening potentially scary movies from children ahead of time, have indicated that children 12 and above thoroughly enjoy Werewolf by Night, at least when it is in black and white.
Something tells us a werewolf ripping a man’s chest open as gory blood splatters the screen will induce just a few more nightmares this time around than it did before. You can find out for yourself when it slashes its way onto Disney on Oct. 20.