According to Heroic Hollywood rumor guru el Mayimbe, the R-rated "Ultimate Cut" of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice will only make it to theaters if the PG-13-rated standard version does well enough.

Specifically, Warners was hoping for a global theatrical take of $1 billion, and while that number seems unlikely to reach at this stage in the game, a source told el Mayimbe that if it's close -- say, within $30 million or so globally -- the Ultimate Cut might get a theatrical release in order to push the movie over the $1 billion mark before it comes to Blu-ray.

Now, the degree to which this is credible is hard to say. el Mayimbe has a better batting average than most with this kind of rumor, but even he seems unconvinced, reiterating that what he's saying is "just a rumor" right after dropping the news.

You can check out the video below. The bit about Batman V Superman comes at the 18:50 mark or so.

To my admittedly-inexpert eyes, it seems like an odd rumor. If the movie were that close to $1 billion, it seems like just trying to hang onto screens for another couple of weeks -- or doing a one-week-only reissue of the standard cut, like The Avengers did -- could do the trick. Still, who knows. It may just be that they're looking for a release strategy for the Ultimate Cut and, at this point, this one sounds viable.

Fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante takes on Metropolis’s most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it’s ever known before.