Sony cancel the release of film, 'The Interview'

[Sparky]

I'm sure most of you have heard the news of the hackers who breached Sony threatening to blow up theaters screening the new film, 'The Interview', where the plot is to kill North Korean leader, Kim Jong-Un. The release has been cancelled by Sony.

 

They didn't take note that they make Kim Jong-Un look like a pretty fun guy! :laugh3:

 

[video=youtube;KpyVENBPj5c]

[gai]

yeah, crazy how it is cancelled. although i think cancelling the movie release altogether has more to do with avoiding an abysmal box office performance after multiple theater companies dropped the movie from their theaters. but had all theaters opened as planned, possibly the movie would have raked in more than before just because of the amount of free marketing it got.

[Sparky]

President Barack Obama has vowed a US response after North Korea's alleged cyber-attack on Sony Pictures.

The US leader also said the studio "made a mistake" in cancelling the Christmas release of The Interview, a satire depicting the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Sony said it still planned to release the film "on a different platform".

 

Relived it will actually be seen! Obama is right though, they should not bow to empty threats.

 

Was interesting when the FBI said it was North Korea or a source from there. It's gotta be there Government then as I don't think they've even got to the SNES era over there yet! :P

[Cobalt]

Surely they'd release it via stream, maybe pay per view or something, given the amount of talk surrounding the film now.

[Guest LiquidSky]

[h=1]Movie theaters to screen 'The Interview' on Christmas Day[/h][h=2]The studio will release the controversial film in select theaters across the U.S.

[/h] It seems that Sony Pictures will release controversial comedy The Interview after all.

 

 

A week ago, the studio canceled the film’s planned release after Sony’s systems were hacked and threats were made against national movie theater chains. But two independent theater owners said on Tuesday that Sony has informed them that they now will be able to screen The Interview on Christmas Day.

 

 

Sony later confirmed its plan to offer “a limited theatrical release” for the film in select U.S. theaters on Christmas.

 

 

 

“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, Sony Entertainment’s CEO, said in a statement. “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.”

 

 

Lynton went on to thank Sony employees and those involved in the making of The Interview — a comedy that stars actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, and which features an assassination plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The North Korean leader previously called the film “an act of war” and, last week, the FBI officially accused North Korea’s government of perpetrating last month’s debilitating hack into the Sony Pictures computer system. North Korea has denied any involvement in the cyber attack.

 

 

Sony called off plans to release The Interview on Christmas last week after the five largest national movie theater chains all balked at showing the movie on account of threats made by the hacker group Guardians of Peace, or GOP. President Obama expressed his regret that Sony made its decision to cancel the film’s release, calling the decision “a mistake.”

 

 

Lynton has maintained the company’s desire to release the film to the public, leading some in the movie industry to suggest that the company might eventually consider releasing the film through a video on demand service.

“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,” Lynton added in his statement.

 

 

On Tuesday afternoon, The Alamo Drafthouse had already posted a link to buy tickets to Thursday screenings of the film on the theater chain’s website. CEO Tim League issued a statement saying that Sony representatives just this morning approved screenings of the film at his chain as well as “other arthouse and independent theaters across the country.”

 

 

“This is the best Christmas gift anyone could give us,” League said in a statement. “We, both distributors and exhibitors, have collectively stood firm to our principles and for the right to freedom of expression. Two days ’til Christmas, and I am proud to be an American.”

 

 

Meanwhile, Michael Furlinger, a co-owner of the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, told CNBC that he plans to have increased security in place for the screening, but said he is “not overly concerned” with the hackers’ threats.

 

For his part, Rogen — who also co-wrote the film — took to Twitter to express his excitement:

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up! The Interview will be shown at theaters willing to play it on Xmas day!</p>— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sethrogen/status/547453144209178626">December 23, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

 

 

 

 

link: http://fortune.com/2014/12/23/sony-screen-the-interview/

[dalekslayer96]

Movie theaters to screen 'The Interview' on Christmas Day

 

The studio will release the controversial film in select theaters across the U.S.

 

It seems that Sony Pictures will release controversial comedy The Interview after all.

 

 

A week ago, the studio canceled the film’s planned release after Sony’s systems were hacked and threats were made against national movie theater chains. But two independent theater owners said on Tuesday that Sony has informed them that they now will be able to screen The Interview on Christmas Day.

 

 

Sony later confirmed its plan to offer “a limited theatrical release” for the film in select U.S. theaters on Christmas.

 

 

 

“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, Sony Entertainment’s CEO, said in a statement. “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.”

 

 

Lynton went on to thank Sony employees and those involved in the making of The Interview — a comedy that stars actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, and which features an assassination plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The North Korean leader previously called the film “an act of war” and, last week, the FBI officially accused North Korea’s government of perpetrating last month’s debilitating hack into the Sony Pictures computer system. North Korea has denied any involvement in the cyber attack.

 

 

Sony called off plans to release The Interview on Christmas last week after the five largest national movie theater chains all balked at showing the movie on account of threats made by the hacker group Guardians of Peace, or GOP. President Obama expressed his regret that Sony made its decision to cancel the film’s release, calling the decision “a mistake.”

 

 

Lynton has maintained the company’s desire to release the film to the public, leading some in the movie industry to suggest that the company might eventually consider releasing the film through a video on demand service.

“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,” Lynton added in his statement.

 

 

On Tuesday afternoon, The Alamo Drafthouse had already posted a link to buy tickets to Thursday screenings of the film on the theater chain’s website. CEO Tim League issued a statement saying that Sony representatives just this morning approved screenings of the film at his chain as well as “other arthouse and independent theaters across the country.”

 

 

“This is the best Christmas gift anyone could give us,” League said in a statement. “We, both distributors and exhibitors, have collectively stood firm to our principles and for the right to freedom of expression. Two days ’til Christmas, and I am proud to be an American.”

 

 

Meanwhile, Michael Furlinger, a co-owner of the Plaza Theatre in Atlanta, told CNBC that he plans to have increased security in place for the screening, but said he is “not overly concerned” with the hackers’ threats.

 

For his part, Rogen — who also co-wrote the film — took to Twitter to express his excitement:

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up! The Interview will be shown at theaters willing to play it on Xmas day!</p>— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sethrogen/status/547453144209178626">December 23, 2014</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

 

 

 

 

link: http://fortune.com/2014/12/23/sony-screen-the-interview/

 

I did not see that coming.

[grids]

Ha I was gonna say, I just saw a post on Facebook about that too. I am not surprised cause Obama was complaining towards it lol

[Guest LiquidSky]

You can watch it on YouTube, Xbox, and the Sony website now. (You have to pay for it obviously)

[Sparky]

Watched it. It's so hilarious :laugh3: "Do you ever feel like a plastic bag", "Honeydicking" haha

 

A sarcastic well done to Sony, who thought it was a brilliant idea to release it to the US only, forgetting that a thing called the internet means that 300,000+ people (edit, 600,000+ actually)have downloaded a torrent of the film already and there are various streams online. It's baffling how Sony have chosen the worst possible tactic/scenario every single time :lol:

[Greengoose]

Watched it yesterday ( I dont pay for films silly, plenty of free sites showing it 24/7 lolol ) I thought it fucking hilarious! Who knew James Franco is that funny lol Seth Rogen favourited my tweet as well lol

[grids]

Oh wow this is unexpected:

 

Sony Pictures said “The Interview” has earned more than $15 million in online sales and another $2.8 million in theaters, an impressive return made possible by the publicity surrounding the cyberattack blamed on North Korea.

 

The raunchy comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made almost as much money through online distribution and in limited theaters in its opening weekend as it would have in a wide release that was shelved after threats from hackers.

 

The studio said on Sunday the film had been purchased or rented online more than 2 million times on the four days through Saturday, making it Sony Pictures’ No. 1 online movie of all time.

 

More: http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/features/sonys-interview-makes-18-million-opening-weekend/

[Black Rose]

Sorry, but the threats were not real, made up by a PR company trying to generate interest in the movie, which worked owing to the sales.

 

The hack was probably carried out by some American teenager

[Sparky]

Sorry, but the threats were not real, made up by a PR company trying to generate interest in the movie, which worked owing to the sales.

 

The hack was probably carried out by some American teenager

 

I think Sony releasing it to the US only shows they were are not capable doing anything that isn't a complete disaster, nevermind a clever PR stunt. Maybe they should hire people who actually know how the internet works and are not so out of touch. 2.5m+ people have now downloaded the film for free. Perhaps only a % of those would buy it but even a small amount is a big loss for Sony.

 

Watched it yesterday ( I dont pay for films silly, plenty of free sites showing it 24/7 lolol ) I thought it fucking hilarious! Who knew James Franco is that funny lol Seth Rogen favourited my tweet as well lol

 

Awesome! I thought James Franco was brilliant. I like Pineapple Express and This Is The End but I wasn't a massive fan of James Franco.

[Black Rose]

Remember it was Sony who originally wanted more than 3 regions for blu-rays to try and control the market more.

[Sparky]

It may of worked for them in the past but everything is global now and they're losing out big time by not adapting to it.

[Black Rose]

Everything is global, when will the movie companies put two and two together and have worldwide releases.

 

Movie 1 released in America in November, but doesn't get an UK/Aussie release for a few months, result in the fans in UK/Australia downloading the movie and ignoring it when it eventually gets a release.

[SumitaSofat]

Thanks for the sharing this news and post...