The theatrical market is rewarding movies with a PG-13 rating, with the box office for movies with PG and R ratings trailing far behind and G-rated movies almost non-existent. In fact, R movies in 2022 account for their lowest percentage of the overall box office in more than 25 years.
One reason cited for this down result is that fewer films targeted to adult audiences are opening in theatres at all, opting instead to play on streaming services. Jordan Peele’s Nope is the only R-rated movie this year to gross over $100M in North America. Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt and Sandra Bullock, is the second-highest-earning R movie of the year, and it appears headed for a $75M run.