Overview

• The BBFC’s 2024 annual report cites moderate violence in lightsaber duels, starship dogfights and brief bloody detail as the basis for moving Episode I from U to PG.
• The reclassification applies to the film’s last year’s cinema re-release and its availability on Prime Video and Netflix through the board’s expanded streaming partnerships.
• Other legacy titles were re-evaluated, with A Star Is Born advancing to a 12 rating for implied suicide, Frasier rising to 12 for coarse language and drug references, and The Crow plus Fight Club downgraded to 15 under the new guidelines.
• BBFC classified more content in 2024 than in any prior year of its 112-year history, reflecting overhauled rules on violence, language, sex scenes and depictions of drug misuse.
• BBFC president Natasha Kaplinsky highlighted the use of AI tools and updated criteria as steps to ensure ratings align with evolving audience expectations.