Tom Hooper In Talks to Lower 'The King's Speech' R Rating for Re-Release

 Movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is urging "The King's Speech" director Tom Hooper to return to the editing room and cut the 'F' word from his hit film - so the Oscar favorite can become a family favorite. Weinstein is keen to boost the film's box office following its 12 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, January 25 - and he's asked Hooper to consider cutting the profanity that earned the period drama an 'R' rating in the U.S.

The producer is keen to re-release the film to cinemas with the language in one scene toned down - as part of a new marketing strategy he hopes will prompt young cinemagoers to see the movie, starring Colin Firth as stuttering British monarch King George VI. Weinstein, whose studio the Weinstein Company released the film, has revealed he is in talks with the director about re-editing the film to attain a possible 'PG' rating.

He tells the Los Angeles Times, "The British numbers are huge because the rating lets families see the movie together. Tom and I are trying to find a unique way to do this that keeps his vision of the movie."

Ironically, Weinstein made waves late last year when he contested film censors at the Motion Picture Association of America's Classification and Rating Administration's decision to give his film "Blue Valentine" a restrictive NC17 rating because of an oral sex scene. The censors agreed to release the movie with an R rating after Weinstein's challenge.

The movie mogul unsuccessfully appealed the MPAA in November 2010 to lower the R rating given to "The King's Speech" without any changes to the film.

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