The Abyss 4K release has been cancelled in the UK because of the rat scene

December has been packed with 4K releases of James Cameron films. First up was the release of the Titanic 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition 4K UHD on December 5th. 4K digital releases of The Abyss, Aliens, True Lies, Avatar, and Avatar: The Way of Water followed on December 12th, and the Avatar movies also got new physical media releases on the 19th. March 12, 2024 is the date when Disney is going to give The Abyss, Aliens, and True Lies their physical 4K UHD releases… but The Digital Bits reports that the 4K digital release of The Abyss has been cancelled in the UK because of “the rat scene“.

Here’s what The Digital Bits had to say: “We’ve learned from industry sources that the 4K Ultra HD release of James Cameron’s The Abyss (1989) in the UK has been cancelled, and for exactly the reason you think—the scene in which the rat is made to breath underwater. UK censors asked for the scene to be cut, Disney apparently wanted to comply, but Lightstorm vetoed it. So if you want this title in 4K and you live in the UK, you’ll have to import it from elsewhere.” On the bright side, 4K discs are region free.

UK censors want the scene to be cut despite the fact that the rats involved in the shooting of the scene weren’t harmed. As noted on Wikipedia, “The idea for The Abyss came to James Cameron when, at age 17 and in high school, he attended a science lecture about deep sea diving by a man, Francis J. Falejczyk, who was the first human to breathe liquid through his lungs in experiments conducted by Johannes A. Kylstra at Duke University. … The breathing fluid used in the film actually exists but has only been thoroughly investigated in animals. Over the previous 20 years it had been tested on several animals, who survived. The rat shown in the film was actually breathing liquid and survived unharmed. Production consulted with Dr. Kylstra on the proper use of the breathing fluid for the film.“

The Abyss has the following synopsis: In this underwater sci-fi adventure written and directed by James Cameron, a nuclear sub mysteriously sinks and a private oil rig crew, led by foreman Bud Brigman, is recruited to join a team of Navy SEALs on a search and rescue effort. The group soon finds themselves on a spectacular life-and-death odyssey 25,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, where they find a mysterious force that could either change the world — or destroy it.

The film stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn, Leo Burmester, Todd Graff, John Bedford Lloyd, J.C. Quinn, Kimberly Scott, Captain “Kidd” Brewer Jr., George Robert Klek, Christopher Murphy, Adam Nelson, Chris Elliott, Richard Warlock, Jimmie Ray Weeks, J. Kenneth Campbell, William Wisher Jr., and Ken Jenkins.

What do you think of the 4K release of The Abyss being cancelled in the UK, and the reason for the cancellation? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.