[UPDATE @ 10 p.m. ET: According to Variety, Sony Pictures has decided to cancel the theatrical release of The Interview entirely. Distributing the film on demand or DVD isn’t currently being considered.]
Suddenly, things have gotten very serious with The Interview. Isn’t this movie supposed to be a comedy?
The latest Seth Rogen-James Franco collaboration has been the focus of controversy following a hack of Sony Pictures by cyber-terrorist group “Guardians of Peace” that leaked documents and emails to the public. The attack is apparently fueled by outrage over The Interview, which depicts a celebrity talk show host and producer being recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and the hacks have been intended to persuade Sony into canceling its release of the film.
(This has led to speculation that the hackers are based in North Korea, but the FBI has found no evidence supporting that.)
(SPOILER ALERT: The fictional Kim Jong-un apparently is killed in The Interview, getting blown up by an exploding tank shell. According to Defamer, producers of the movie even tried to appease Sony executives by toning down the level of physical carnage suffered by the character on screen.)
With The Interview scheduled for preview screenings in advance of its Christmas Day release in theaters, the hackers have made threats beyond anything that might embarrass Sony, but actually put people in danger by attacking cinemas that show the movie. The message sent to media outlets referred to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. That has prompted several national theater chains to respond.
Carmike Cinemas, Cineplex, Regal Cinemas, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark have all decided to either cancel or delay showings of the film. The latter three exhibitors are the largest theater chains in North America, running nearly 20,000 screens in the United States and Canada. Unless you live in or near an area with a theater run by one of the smaller exhibitors, chances are you won’t be able to see The Interview.
(I live in Asheville, N.C., where Carmike and Regal run two of the multiplexes in town. A regional chain, Carolina Cinemas, has also decided not to show the film.)
It’s a rather stunning decision by these theater chains. And it should be noted that these exhibitors are pulling The Interview from their schedules. Sony Pictures is not asking them to do so, although Regal Entertainment cited “wavering support” from the studio in a press release. Carmike, AMC and Cinemark have not made an official comment regarding the cancellation.
Some cynical speculation is that these chains aren’t concerned about actual terrorist attacks in theaters showing The Interview, so much as worried that moviegoers will stay away from multiplexes — and other movies — due to fear over possible incidents.
Christmas Day is a huge release date for studios and theater chains. Among the offerings being released on Dec. 25 are Unbroken and Into the Woods. Other big movies being released this coming weekend include The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, A Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Annie. Smaller films in limited release such as Wild and Foxcatcher will also roll out over the next week.
It’s possible that the big theater chains will decide to show The Interview months from now, after this controversy dies down (and perhaps the hacker threat has been addressed). But it’s also possible Sony Pictures will decide to pull the film altogether and try to avoid any more problems. (Can it really be worth all this trouble?)
There is also a growing sentiment online (Twitter hashtag #putitonline) urging the studio to release the movie on demand via cable or streaming services, or put The Interview straight to video in retail outlets.
Such a move would certainly satisfy fans who were looking forward to some laughs during the Christmas holiday. I know I was eager to see this movie. Clips of Seth Rogen jiggling his belly in trailers only made that impulse stronger.
However, this is not just about being deprived of the opportunity to see the film. It’s also about giving in to terrorist threats that has a lot of people worked up. (Concern over threats has also prompted a production company to entirely cancel the development of a thriller set in North Korea that would have starred Steve Carell, called Pyongyang.)
You can make a statement by trying hard to see The Interview next week, people. (Presuming it’s actually showing at a theater near you, of course.) Don’t let the terrorists win!
