Editing Licence to Kill (section)

==Release==
[[Film rating]]s organisations had objections to the excessive and realistic violence, with both the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA) and the [[British Board of Film Classification]] requesting content adaptations,{{sfn| Chapman|2007|p=245}} with the BBFC in particular demanding the cut of 36 seconds.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=185}} ''Licence to Kill'' became the first Bond film to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA's [[Motion Picture Association film rating system|ratings board]], a rating that has been applied to every Bond film since. The 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD of ''Licence to Kill'' marked the first release of the film without cuts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/ltk_uncut.php3?t=&s=ltk&id=01172 |title=Licence To Kill Uncut |date=16 May 2006 |publisher=[[Mi6-HQ.com]] |access-date=28 August 2011 |archive-date=10 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010162626/http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/ltk_uncut.php3?t=&s=ltk&id=01172 |url-status=live }}</ref> It remains the only Bond movie to be originally rated 15 by the BBFC.<ref>{{cite web |title=License to Kill |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/licence-to-kill-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtc2nty |website=BBFC |access-date=19 October 2024}}</ref> But for the subsequent cuts, the original examiners had been considering an 18 rating.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBFC Podcast Episode 08 - Bond |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/podcasts/bbfc-podcast-episode-08-bond |website=BBFC |access-date=19 October 2024 |date=2012}}</ref>

''Licence to Kill'' premiered at the [[Odeon Leicester Square]] in London on {{nowrap|13 June 1989}},<ref name="Leask (1989)">{{cite news |last=Leask |first=Annie |title=Bond's night on the town |newspaper=[[Daily Express]] |date=14 June 1989}}</ref> raising £200,000 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|200000|1989}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}} pounds{{inflation-fn|UK}}) for [[The Prince's Trust]] on the night.<ref name="Leask (1989)"/>

There were also issues with the promotion of the film: promotional material in the form of teaser posters created by [[Bob Peak]], based on the ''Licence Revoked'' title and commissioned by Albert Broccoli, had been produced, but MGM decided against using them{{sfn|Pfeiffer|Worrall|1998|p=167}} after American test screenings showed 'Licence Revoked' to be a common American phrase for the withdrawal of a driving licence.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=239}} The delayed, updated advertising by [[Steven Chorney]], in the traditional style, limited the film's pre-release screenings.<ref name="documentary"/> MGM also discarded a campaign created by advertising executive Don Smolen, who had worked in the publicity campaign for eight previous Bond films, emphasising the rougher content of the film.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Stephen|last=Rebello|title=Selling Bond |url=http://ianfleming.org/mkkbb/magazine/posters3.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410235517/http://ianfleming.org/mkkbb/magazine/posters3.shtml |archive-date=10 April 2005 |page=126 |journal=[[Cinefantastique]] |volume=19 |issue=5 |date=July 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |year=1999 |title=Audio commentary |location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition |medium=DVD |publisher=MGM |people=Don Smolen}}</ref>