What Is A Red Band Trailer: Cinema's Most Explicit & Uncensored Teases Explained

These days, early looks at upcoming movies can take many forms. There are plain old run-of-the-mill trailers, teaser trailers, extended previews, commercials, and more. Knowing the difference between these formats may already be confusing for casual viewers, but there's yet another type of marketing material that can pop up when studios look to build hype for one of their releases: red band trailers. These previews are specifically designed for R-rated movies, functioning as R-rated versions of regular trailers. 

These videos typically feature graphic and explicit content from the movies they are advertising — specifically, elements such as gore and profanity that would otherwise be considered unsuitable for a regular green band trailer. The ostensible purpose of red band trailers is to allow filmmakers to promote their projects as they see fit without the need for censorship or other restrictions. As such, they are generally only available to be seen online rather than playing on TV or in movie theaters.

The term "red band trailer" actually has a simplistic origin. The start of these explicit trailers features an advisory warning from the MPAA against a red background, as opposed to the green label featured on most regular trailers. As such, the red band moniker caught on as a shorthand way of referring to this specialized preview. Interestingly enough, there are also yellow band trailers, occasionally used for promos that blur the line between the red and green spectrum.

Red band trailers have been around for quite a while; the MPAA has used the system's current iteration to rate movies and theatrical trailers since 1968. While sources vary on the exact timing of the introduction of red band trailers, their existence is known to predate the 21st century. These explicit first looks at upcoming mature-rated movies once played in theaters. However, a 2000 initiative from the National Association of Theatre Owners led to them generally becoming restricted from cinemas.

The internet's rapid growth as an advertising tool for studios helped red band trailers become more popular. As such, many of the most iconic red band trailers of all time come from relatively modern movies.

There are a ton of red band trailers for popular movies these days, but a select few have amassed a unique level of popularity. The most infamous red band trailers are made for adaptations of mature or explicit IP. A prime example is 2021's "Mortal Kombat," which holds the record for the most-watched red band trailer of all time, per Deadline. This promo features extreme levels of gore and implicitly informs viewers the movie retains the level of graphic content the original video game series is known for.

R-rated superhero films also dominate this realm. The Deadpool franchise received red-band trailers, which were heavily watched and well-regarded by fans for their unfiltered portrayal of the comic book character. The red band trailers for "Logan" were similarly successful, showcasing the first proper look at the R-rated outing for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine. In 2021, the red band trailer for James Gunn's "The Suicide Squad" managed to crack 150 million views.

With plenty of R-rated films on the horizon, the potential for even more popular red band trailers in the future is there. However, it stands to reason that the most successful ones convey a simple sentiment: "Yes, this movie really is going there."