Parenting Group Slams Disney for Violating Promise as R-Rated Movies Added to Streaming Service

The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) has called out Walt Disney Company for breaking its promise to keep R-rated movies off its family-friendly platform, Disney+.

On Friday, July 22, 2022, Disney+ unveiled its first selections on its R-rated library, with films like "Logan," starring Hugh Jackman, "Deadpool" and "Deadpool 2," starring Ryan Reynolds. While these movies had a blockbuster run on the big screen and earned millions for the House of Mouse, their content ratings have not been considered kid-friendly.

In a press release, PTC President Tim Winter said that Disney promised three years ago that their R-rated movies would be up on Hulu, their other streaming platform meant for adult viewers. Winter accused Disney of lying to the parents because this latest movie line-up has veered away from its family-focused objective.

At that time, Bob Iger led Walt Disney Company, but the operations changed when she retired, and Bob Chapek took over. Insiders said that Chapek intends to expand the content of Disney+ with various programs for all ages.

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Disney+ has parental controls

"Logan" and the "Deadpool" movies contain profanity, nudity, gory and violent scenes, and implications of alcohol consumption and sex; thus, the films are not recommended for children's viewing. However, Variety stated that the streamer had included parental controls that allow the parents to prevent their children from navigating other shared accounts or picking contents that are not age-appropriate.

Parents can do this by accessing their children's profiles to edit and select "Parental Controls," where they can tweak the "Content Rating." The adjustment will also require a password or PIN input only known to the parents.

Winter acknowledged the parental controls on the Disney+ profiles but pointed out that "the mere presence of R-rated and TV-MA rated content violates the trust and sensibilities of families." He called out Disney for its "corporate U-turn," adding that this decision tarnished its credibility as the "most trusted brand for families."

Move to compete with other streamers

According to CNN Business, Disney+ managed to amass 140 million subscribers in less than three years with its family-friendly model. However, as the streaming industry is growing more competitive, it has to cater to other audiences.

Reynolds, the "Deadpool" star who is a dad-of-three, posted a funny take on this change at Disney+ on his Twitter account. The actor said that while his movies are some of the first R-rated movies on the platform, other popular Disney films have caused irreversible trauma to kids. He referenced the murder of Mufasa in "The Lion King" by his brother.

Meanwhile, the parenting group also commented on the new TV-MA rating of Netflix's "Stranger Things," up from a TV-14 rating. Winters said the show deserved a more restrictive rating as its current season introduced more adult content with increased use of profanity and graphic violence. 

Winters noted that "Stranger Things" was not appropriately rated in the previous season despite its explicit content. He said that ratings should be accurate as this serves as a useful guide for the parents.  

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