Seth Rogen Criticizes Sony's Plan to Release "Clean Versions" of Films

"Holy shit please don't do this to our movies. Thanks," tweeted the actor-writer-producer, whose production company has long had offices on the Sony lot.

A new home entertainment initiative at Sony Pictures offering "clean" versions of movies in hopes of appealing to a wider audience is already drawing the ire of some in Hollywood's creative community — namely, Seth Rogen.

The "Clean Version" project will make the broadcast TV or airline version of a title available when a consumer purchases a film in its original form on iTunes, Vudu and FandangoNOW. The initiative launches with 24 films, including Big Daddy, 50 First Dates, Step Brothers, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, all of the Spider-Man movies and more serious fare such as Captain Phillips and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

"Holy shit please don't do this to our movies. Thanks," Rogen tweeted Tuesday hours after Clean Version was announced.

None of the first 24 titles star Rogen, who has made a number of films for Sony — most famously, The Interview, the R-rated comedy which prompted the devastating hack of the studio. The actor-writer-producer was particularly close to former Sony vice chairman Amy Pascal, who exited in the wake of the hack and was succeeded by Tom Rothman as head of the film studio.

Rogen's last film at Sony was the R-rated film Sausage Party. While he doesn't have a first-look deal with the studio, his production company, Point Grey Pictures, continues to have offices on the Culver City lot.

"The Clean Version allows viewing for a wider audience, giving people the chance to watch their favorite films together," Sony's home entertainment group said in promoting the program. "Films of all ratings can be adapted as Clean Versions; however, the extent of such adaptation can vary."

In some instances, filmmakers have a say in editing a movie for the airlines or broadcast television.