Film bosses cut two violent scenes from Tom Cruise's upcoming thriller Jack Reacher to secure a less restrictive age rating in Britain.

Movie regulators in the U.K. were set to slap the drama with a 15 classification; meaning viewers aged 14 and under would not be able to see the blockbuster.

Nonetheless, distributors were eager to land a 12A rating to open the film up to a younger audience and sought advice from regulators - and as a result, they cut several gory scenes out of the final edit.

A statement from the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) reads, "Company chose to reduce two moments of violence (a woman being suffocated by a man and a man being hit over the head with a rock) in order to achieve a 12A classification. Cuts made in accordance with BBFC Guidelines and policy. An uncut 15 classification was available."

Cruise serves as a producer on the Christopher McQuarrie-directed movie, which also stars Rosamund Pike and is set for release next month.

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