Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno threatened with an NC-17

An early cut of Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno was only offered an NC-17 certificate from the MPAA because of graphic sexual content, Universal confirmed this week. According to The Wrap, there are two sequences the ratings board found particularly galling: an anal-sex scene and another that involves Cohen sneaking up on a man on a hunting trip without any clothes.

The move by the MPAA was decried by the usual critics, who contend that it's violence, not sex, that should be its focus. But as some other observers have pointed out, the leaked news about the rating probably came from distributor Universal itself as part of a viral marketing push. It’s a foolproof way to show that the movie pushes it to the limit, and it seems to have worked.

Given that Universal shelled out $42.5 million for rights to distribute the movie, an eventual R rating is all but a certainty.

Related links:
News: Sacha Baron Cohen's uses fake companies to back Brüno
News: Sacha Baron Cohen's Brüno moves to July
News: Slumdog Millionaire gets an (unnecessary?) R rating

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.