On December 23rd, it has been revealed that The Interview will be released as scheduled in select independent theaters despite earlier cyber threats.
Despite waves of hacks that attacked Sony Pictures, a deliberation conference call among the distribution executives has reversed the previous decision to pull the movie from theaters. However, the screenings appear to be limited to select smaller, independent theater chains. It is estimated that over 200 will be releasing the movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco.
Sony’s CEO and Chairman released a statement, stating:
“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.”
Various theaters have already confirmed their screenings such as Bill Barstow, the owner of Main Street Theaters based in the Midwest. He shared, “We’re going to put it in a theater. We’ve booked it at a 14-plex in Sioux City [Iowa].”
