Question: Anyone know the story behind why the MPAA rated this movie PG instead of PG-13? From Sectumsepra to the Horcrux cave with the Inferi to Dumbledore's death, there seems to be just as much stuff a young child might find scary/traumatizing in this movie as in the others in the series that actually were rated PG-13.
Question: Why did Slughorn even tell Tom Riddle about Horcruxes in the first place?
Answer: Because he made a foolish mistake, not realizing what Riddle intended to do. He was assuming at the time that it was a hypothetical conversation. Horcruxes were not a secret, and there was no reason not to tell a student about different types of Dark magic, and Riddle already knew much about it. He was seeking additional information.
Answer: Half-blood Prince was certainly darker and edgier than the previous HP films, but still within the PG guidelines. Also, audiences had grown use to the more sophisticated and mature content building over the entire series, so it was not completely unexpected. Filmmakers dislike having a PG-13 rating imposed on their movies as that can limit the audience and lower profits. No doubt the Warner Bros. Studio was careful not to exceed the PG rating guidelines in order to protect their bottom line.
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