JJ Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens has been granted a PG-13 audience rating in the US, as cited on FilmRatings.com, describing Episode VII to involve "sci-fi action violence".
It's only the second in the franchise to get the higher classification - the last (and only other) time was for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, which came out in 2005. Every other movie from the galaxy far, far away has been rated U for Universal, meaning anyone can go and see it and it's suitable for all ages.
The UK equivalent of PG-13 - a law whereby only persons 13-years-old or over can see it - is the 12a certificate, which comes courtesy of the BBFC. However, their website claims The Force Awakens is a PG, which stands for Parental Guidance. They say that a film rated PG "should not unsettle a child aged around eight or over".
It's unlikely that Abrams and Disney have made a Star Wars that's too extreme for kids. After all, the original trilogy - certified U - saw dismembered and bloody limbs, so we're not expected to be shocked by anything here. It's not long until The Force Awakens is with us, as analysts expect the movie to take around $170 million in its opening weekend in the US alone, it'll want to reach as many people as it possibly can.
Directed by JJ Abrams and starring John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac and Mark Hamill, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in the UK on December 17 and in the US on December 18.
