James L. Brooks' romantic comedy "How Do You Know" has been given an R rating by the MPAA for "some language."
Individuals familiar with the project have confirmed that producers are planning to appeal the rating, which could threaten the film's box office potential.
Producer Laurence Mark did not immediately reply to TheWrap's request for comment.
Brooks' last R-rated movie was "Broadcast News" in 1987. His last two films, "Spanglish" and "As Good As It Gets," were rated PG-13.
Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson star in the romantic comedy, which Columbia is set to release on Dec. 17 opposite "Tron: Legacy" and "Yogi Bear."
The MPAA has been on a roll recently with its controversial ratings for two awards hopefule from The Weinstein Company — Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine" received a dreaded NC-17 rating for some sexual shenanigans, while Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech" received an R rating for a scene in which Colin Firth utters the f-word several dozen times in an attempt to get over his speech impediment. The filmmakers appealed in both cases, to no avail yet.
