Film bosses have cut two violent scenes from Tom Cruise's upcoming thriller Jack Reacher to secure a less restrictive age rating in Britain.
Movie regulators in the UK were set to slap the drama with a 15 classification, meaning viewers aged 14 and under would not be able to see the blockbuster.
However, distributors were keen to land a lower rating to open the film up to a younger audience and sought advice from regulators - and as a result, they cut several violent scenes out of the final edit.
"Company chose to reduce two moments of violence (a woman being suffocated by a man and a man being hit over the head with a rock) in order to achieve a 12A classification. Cuts made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. An uncut 15 classification was available," a statement from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) reads.
Cruise serves as a producer on the Christopher McQuarrie-directed movie, which also stars Rosamund Pike and is set for release in the UK next month.
