Weinstein Blinks: 'Bully' to Hit Theaters Without Rating

Producer Harvey Weinstein is used to getting his way.

Not this time.

The Weinstein Company’s attempt to force the MPAA to give his new film, “Bully,” a PG:13 rating failed. So now the documentary, set to hit theaters on Friday, will arrive without a rating.

It will be up to theater owners to decide whether to screen a film without the stamped approval of the ratings board:

The kids and families in this film are true heroes, and we believe theater owners everywhere will step up and do what’s right for the benefit of all of the children out there who have been bullied or may have otherwise been bullies themselves. We’re working to do everything we can to make this film available to as many parents, teachers and students cross the country, TWC president of marketing Stephen Bruno said.Releasing an unrated film in New York and Los Angeles will be far easier than in America’s heartland, and the option of tweaking the film remains open so that it could go out with a PG-13.

Now they tell us. Why didn’t Weinstein and Co. snip a few F-bombs weeks ago and land that PG:13 rating without all this ruckus?

The answer? Publicity. A little known documentary would have been lucky to earn $1 million at the box office without the nonstop headlines surrounding Weinstein’s ratings tactics.

Instead, “Bully” stands a legitimate chance to outperform every other documentary on the market and even a few fiction films, too.