Sony has come in for some stick over its decision to pull the controversial comedy The Interview from release in the wake of terror threats stemming from the North Korea hack (not least from U.S. President Barack Obama), but it seems the studio has now had a change of heart and has allowed cinemas to book the film for Christmas Day.
Here’s the official press release from Sony:
Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that The Interview will have a limited theatrical release in the United States on Christmas Day.
“We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment. “At the same time, we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience.”
“I want to thank our talent on The Interview and our employees, who have worked tirelessly through the many challenges we have all faced over the last month. While we hope this is only the first step of the film’s release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech.”
Via Deadline, here’s a list of U.S. theaters showing the movie on Christmas Day…
Academy Theater, Portland, OR
Alamo Drafthouse, Austin (4 locations), San Antonio (2 locations), Houston, Yonkers, NY, Kansas City, Littleton, CO, Ashburn, VA, Kalamazoo, MI, Richardson, TX, Katy, TX, Lubbock, TX, New Braunfels, TX
AppleCinemas, Cambridge, MA
Art Theater Co-Op, Champaign, IL
Belcourt Theatre, Nashville TN
Cable Car Cinema, Providence, RI
Caribbean Cinemas, Puerto Rico
Chalmette Movies, Chalmette, LA
City Base Cinema, San Antonio
Dipson Flix 10 Stadium, Lancaster, NY (Dec 26)
Dipson Lakewood Cinema 8, Lakewood, NY (Dec 26)
Eastpoint Movies 10, Baltimore
Edge 12, Birmingham, AL
Fox Theatre, Dallas, OR
Franklin Theatre, Franklin, TN
Gateway Film Center, Columbus, OH
Groundview Theatre, Columbus, OH
Harkins Theatres, Phoenix
Harkins Valley Art, Tempe, AZ
Hollywood Blvd Cinema, Woodridge, IL
Jasper 8 Theatres, Jasper, IN
Jurupa 14 Cinemas, Riverside, CA
Laemmle Theatre, North Hollywood (Dec 31)
Look Cinemas, Dallas
Loft Cinema, Tucson, AZ
Lyric Cinema Cafe, Fort Collins, CO
Merrill’s Roxy, Burlington, VT
State Theater, Ann Arbor, MI
MX Movies, St. Louis
Nickelodeon Theatre, Columbia, SC
Penn Cinemas Riverfront, Wilmington, DE
Plaza Theatre, Atlanta
Prime Cinema, Red Bluff, CA
Regency Theatres, Foothill Cinema Stadium 10 – Azusa, CA; Santa Paula 7 – Santa Paula; Agoura Hills Stadium 8, Agoura Hills CA; Sterling 6 – San Bernardino, CA; Granada Hills 9, Granada Hills, CA; East Hills Mall, Bakersfield, CA; Commerce 14, City of Commerce, CA; Van Nuys Plant 16, Van Nuys, CA; Fontana 8, Fontana, CA; Janss Marketplace 9, Thousand Oaks, CA; University Village 10, Riverside, CA; Westminster 10, Westminster, CA
Riverdale 10, Little Rock, AR
Southside Works Cinema, Pittsburgh
Sun-Ray Cinema, Jacksonville, FL
Terrace Theater, Charleston, SC
Tower City Cinemas, Cleveland
Tygart Valley Cinemas, Fairmont, WV
Are you glad that Sony has changed its mind over The Interview, and will you be checking it out on Christmas Day?
The Interview is directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and sees Rogen and James Franco leading a cast that also includes Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex), Randall Park (Sex Tape), Timothy Simons (Veep) and Charles Rahi Chun (Scrubs).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n3TnGczwV4&feature=player_embedded&list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F
