The Brave One’s U.S. poster was a gimme for the Jodie Foster’s massive lesbian fan base: it featured a full body shot of the star in a tight, midriff-skimming tee, holding a big, phallic gun down by her tight-jeaned nether-regions. It blatantly sexualized Foster’s quest for vengeance, and it didn’t go unnoticed: AfterEllen.com summed it up with the headline, “Best. Jodie. Movie. Poster. Ever.” But what works for the queer blogosphere does not necessarily an international blockbuster make, and thus Warner Brothers has gone with a very different brand identity for the international rollout. The Risky Biz Blog pegs the change as ratings-board motivated:

In the U.S. — where the MPAA frowns on ads where guns strike too threatening a pose — the main image featured Foster, looking distraught, her head bowed and her gun hanging limply by her side. But in its foreign make-over, The Brave One’s poster…features a full head shot of Foster with her gun raised, aiming to kill. Nothing shy about it.

In other words: the idea that Foster is conflicted about killing has been wiped clean from this ad campaign. It’s gone from “what have I done?” to “look what I’m doing.” It makes sense: when complexity fails to sell, it’s time to go binary.

[Via Movie Marketing Madness]