'Fifty Shades of Grey' rated R for 'unusual behaviour'

Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan are shown in this scene from the trailer for 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' (YouTube/Universal Pictures UK)

The hotly-anticipated film adaptation of the steamy novel ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ has received a restricted rating in the United States.

The Motion Picture Association of America has slapped the film with an R-rating for “strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behaviour and graphic nudity, and for language.”

The film has not yet been rated for Canadian audiences, but a restricted rating in the U.S. typically translates to an R or 18A rating in Canada. R-rated films are restricted to viewers who are 18 years of age or older.

Film studios typically like to have lower film ratings so they can sell tickets to a broader audience.

‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ stars Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, a literature student who begins a sadomasochistic relationship with rich entrepreneur Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan).

The film is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and based on the book by E.L. James.

It’s slated to hit theatres on Feb. 13, just before Valentine’s Day.