Angel Studios bans sex scenes and F-words in new 'Angel Promise'

The three rules: First, the Guild decides: titles scoring below 70 out of 100 in member voting don't get released. Second, three content standards: no nudity or sex on screen; no misuse of God's name, which Angel defines as irreverent or profane use while respecting sincere use in any faith; and no F-word in any story, with no profanity at all in titles for children 12 and under. Third, parental controls and age ratings set by the Guild instead of relying only on the movie industry's ratings.

In their words: "A PG-13 rating from the MPA isn't precise enough," Angel's release said, referring to the Motion Picture Association's rating system. Co-founder Jeff Harmon told Fox News that "Hollywood generally kind of lives in a bubble" and called it the "first time in history that a major Hollywood studio, or top 10 studio… let the audience have a veto right."

Background: Angel was founded in 2021 by the Harmon brothers and a cousin, Deadline reported. Its releases include "Sound of Freedom," "The King of Kings" and "Animal Farm."

Weak spot: The "top 10 studio" and "first time in history" claims are Angel's own, and the published standards don't mention violence, a gap critics have noted.

What's still unknown: Whether the rules apply to titles Angel has already acquired, how the 70-point Guild threshold will affect which projects reach theaters, and whether the standards will be extended to violence.

Sourcing: Angel Studios' Oct. 29 press release, Variety and Deadline (trade press), and Fox News (right-leaning), which interviewed co-founder Jeff Harmon. Claims about being a "top 10 studio" and a historic first are the company's own and have not been independently verified. Photos show downtown Provo, not Angel Studios' offices.