Hatchet II ditches MPAA – getting largest unrated genre film release in decades

Dark Sky Films announced today that in anticipation of the upcoming Halloween horror movie season, Adam Green’s Hatchet II will be distributed in theaters across the country beginning October 1st. The film will be released without an MPAA rating, marking the widest release of an unrated genre film in more than 25 years.

AMC Theatres, under its AMC independent program, will be exhibiting Hatchet II in the top 20 markets across the country, with Vitagraph Films serving as its theatrical distributor. The announcement was made jointly by Adam Green and MPI Media Group’s Greg Newman.

A tribute to old-school horror slasher movies of the 80’s, Hatchet II is the follow-up to the cult favorite original film Hatchet, which was released theatrically in 2007 and became a sleeper hit, gaining a wide following on DVD. The cast of Hatchet II features a cavalcade of horror movie icons including Danielle Harris (Halloween) and Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th), reprising his role as serial killer Victor Crowley. Also starring are Tony Todd (Candyman) and R.A. Mihailoff (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

Hatchet II is set to have its world premiere this week during London’s Fright Fest, the UK’s premiere horror and fantasy film festival.

Director Adam Green said, “Having a movie as graphically over the top as Hatchet II come out in major theatres unrated is an absolute dream come true – not only for the genre fans but for the entire make-up effects crew who normally have to watch their amazing achievements get sliced and diced for theatrical release. This is an important event for the horror genre and I hope the real horror fans support Hatchet II and help change the way genre films are released theatrically from this day forward. Kudos to Dark Sky Films and AMC theaters for truly honoring the spirit of old school American horror and doing this right. Gorehounds won’t know what hit them!”

Dark Sky Films’ Newman added, “We are thrilled that audiences will not have to wait for a director’s cut or unrated version of Adam Green’s Hatchet II. On October 1st fans will have the opportunity to see Hatchet II in theaters exactly as it was intended to be seen: full-on, uncut and uncensored! We hope that this unrated release of Hatchet II marks a new trend in providing an uncompromised theatrical experience for genre film lovers nationwide.”

“Our AMC independent program embraces diverse storytelling of all types,” said AMC Theatres’ VP Nikkole Dneson-Randolph. “Bringing a story like Hatchet II to our guests is a natural fit during this time of year and we’re excited to share the filmmakers’ vision on-screen in its intended state.”

Hatchet II centers on Marybeth (Danielle Harris), who escapes the clutches of the deformed, swamp-dwelling iconic killer Victor Crowley. After learning the truth about her family’s connection to the hatchet-wielding madman, Marybeth returns to the Louisiana swamps along with an army of hunters to recover the bodies of her family and exact bloody revenge against the bayou butcher.