'The Interview' Kills It with Over $15M in Online Sales

By any measure the Christmas holiday was a busy one for Hollywood with about half a dozen movies opening in theaters. And it turns out to have been quite a lucrative one, too, with The Hobbit, Into the Woods and Unbroken all doing extremely well.  But it turns out audiences who stayed home weren't watching your typical holiday fare; they were instead watching James Franco and Seth Rogen kill Kim Jong-un in The Interview. 

While the controversial Sony comedy only earned $1.8M theatrically over the weekend, the film earned more than $15M through digital On Demand services. That's the biggest digital release in Sony's history, and the total is only going to go up once numbers from Apple's ITunes sales are made public. Combined, that comes close to the $20M analysts were projecting if the film had opened in a traditional release before the hacking scandal broke out.  Keep in mind it only hit 331 smaller art house theater chains, and if Sony decides to release it to major exhibitors we could see the total rise even higher.

So what does all this mean? That's hard to figure at this stage. Certainly this is a win for Sony, which is why they released these numbers when VOD earnings are typically kept under wraps. But is this some kind of signpost for the future? Probably not. While some may lament this as the end of traditional theatrical release schedules, The Interview had the kind of publicity that 99.9% of straight-to-VOD movies simply will never get.

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Review: 'The Interview' starring Seth Rogen and James Franco

The movie that almost launched a million Taepodong missiles! The Interview is likely to forever be remembered as the film that pissed off North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un so much he declared it an "act of war". Or maybe the film that saw Sony Pictures tap dancing like Savion Glover as they tried to figure out whether to release it or duck for cover. With so much controversy clouding just about everything with this rather sophomoric comedy, it may be easy to overlook the nuts it took to make it in the first place.

Now that I've seen the movie for myself it makes me chuckle that theaters were going to swap The Interview out with Team America: World Police if Sony didn't release it, because North Korea has real reason to be pissed at this one. This isn't a puppet version of Kim Jong-il acting as your basic global terrorist; this is a pretty direct slap in the face to Kim Jong-un by painting him as not just crazy, but a total fraud screwing over his people. The funny thing is, this movie would have come and gone if it weren't for all of the scandals surrounding it. Now the guys who gave us Pineapple Express are delivering the same brand of stoner humor on a much larger scale, and people will go out of their way to see it. Like most films of this type the gags are hit 'n miss, but the jabs at both North Korea and the United States land pretty effectively.

James Franco plays Dave Skylark, the self-absorbed celebrity host of talk show Skylark Tonight, with Seth Rogen as his uptight producer Aaron Rapaport. Like something out of an episode of The Newsroom, Aaron is pretty embarrassed at their silly pop culture show and wants to do something profound. So he convinces Dave to go along with the idea of doing a broadcast that isn't about the latest Hollywood scandals. After discovering that Kim Jong-un listed Skylark Tonight as his favorite TV show, Dave's big idea is to head to North Korea for an interview. Aaron doesn't think it has a chance in Hell of ever happening, but a few phone calls (to the North Korean Olympic committee, no less) later and suddenly they're in. Of course it comes with some serious conditions; like delivering the kind of softball interview they only conduct on Fox News.

This is a pretty sweet opportunity for any journalist, but the CIA sees it as a great chance, too. Lizzy Caplan plays Agent Lacey, who seduces Dave into a plot to assassinate Jong-un. Aaron is against it, but goes along with it out of loyalty to his buddy. But once they arrive in North Korea, it's Dave who goes full-blown Dennis Rodman and forms a serious bromance with the dictator. We're talking a close-knit bond built on mutual inferiority complexes. Dave has never been taken seriously as a journalist; while Jong-un is living in his father's shadow and must always show strength.

While Aaron is busy trying to hold the mission together, all the while falling love with Sook (Diana Bang), a member of Jong-un's elite inner circle, the film really becomes about Dave and Jong-un's friendship. This leads to some of the movie's best moments, which are mostly of a visual nature. The sight of Franco drinking margaritas while blowing stuff up in a tank is great, almost as good as Jong-un playing basketball like Michael Jordan. The further the film goes over-the-top in depicting North Korea the better. Of course there is the requisite party scene with hip-hop beats and slo-mo, but some of this stuff seems slapped together like an extended sketch comedy. But that's pretty much been par for the course when Goldberg and Rogen get behind the camera. At just under two hours this episodic approach begins to be a drag until everything turns on a dime and things get bloody and hyper violent in short order.  There are plenty of laughs, with Rogen and Franco going a mile a minute throwing them at us, but nothing that would resonate in any meaningful way.

There's nothing new to be found in the dynamic between Franco and Rogen we've seen it so often. Rogen makes for a better straight man while Franco is at his best when playing vapid and clueless. Here's hoping Randall Park doesn't get overlooked for what is a truly inspired performance as Jong-un. As the dictator he glides mercurially between awestruck fan to dangerously spoiled and finally to vengeful despot. It was also refreshing that the script doesn't call for him to be a total incompetent. Some pretty heavy shots are taken at North Korea, obviously, but the United States is the target of some harsh criticism, too. When Dave and Jong-un finally get to verbal sparring, America's interventionist attitude gets called out. Not to mention the indisputable fact that we don't always treat our poorest citizens that great, either.

Is The Interview worth all this trouble? Should anybody go to war over it? Probably not, but it does feel good to stick it to North Korea a little bit. The best comedies aren't afraid to aim high and upset some powerful folks, and while The Interview doesn't always work it takes some big gambles to entertain.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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'The Interview' gets VOD Release Today on YouTube, Google, and XBox

Now that Sony has given the thumbs up for certain theaters to run The Interview on Christmas Day, they've gone ahead and made the comedy available through digital On Demand services as well. Take that North Korea, random rogue Sony employee, or whoever hacked Sony and caused all this nonsense.

Those who wish to see the movie in the comfort of their own home can do so beginning TODAY, December 24th, at 1pm EST through YouTube, Google Play, Microsoft's XBox service, and the website www.SeeTheInterview.com. Be ready to plunk down $6 to rent the film or $15 to own it outright. There's a chance Sony could hammer out deals with Netflix and other distributors soon.

It'll be interesting to see if the theater chains dig this move because it will cut into their bottom line. They fought hard to get the movie released and now Sony is making it easier for audiences to stay home.

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Here's where you can see 'The Interview' on Christmas Day

We got pretty upset when it looked like North Korea was forcing Sony to pull The Interview from theaters before any of us could see it, but will Americans turn out for it now that the decision's been reversed? That's the big question now that the film will open on Christmas Day in a number of smaller art house theaters. No matter how good the movie does Sony is probably going to take a bath on this one, but imagine how good it could do on Blu-Ray sales later on, and possible through VOD if that deal ever gets ironed out.

If you're planning to spend part of your holidays with Seth Rogen and James Franco's The Interview, here are the list of places you can check it out. Sadly, nothing in DC but there are a couple spots in VA and MD. Nothing in Hawaii, either, which is where I'll be during the holidays. Shoot. [Mashable]

Alabama

The Edge 12, Birmingham

Arizona

Harkins Theatres, Phoenix

Loft Cinema, Tuscon

The Valley Art, Tempe

Arkansas

Riverdale 10, Little Rock

California

Agoura Hills Stadium 8, Agoura Hills 

Cinefamily, Los Angeles

Cinémas Palme D'Or, Coachella Valley

Commerce 14, City of Commerce 

Crest Westwood, Los Angeles

Digital Gym, San Diego

East Hills Mall, Bakersfield 

Foothill Cinema Stadium 10, Azusa 

Fontana 8, Fontana 

Granada Hills 9, Granada Hills 

Janss Marketplace 9, Thousand Oaks 

Jurupa 14, Jurupa

Los Feliz 3, Los Angeles

Mission Grove Theaters, Riverside

Laemmle's North Hollywood 7, Los Angeles (starting Dec. 31)

Perris 10, Perris 

Rialto Cinemas, Berkeley

Santa Paula 7, Santa Paula 

Sterling 6, San Bernardino 

Van Nuys Plant 16, Van Nuys 

UltraLuxe Anaheim Cinemas in Gardenwalk, Anaheim 

University Village 10, Riverside 

Westminster 10, Westminster

Colorado

Alamo, Littleton

Lyric Cinema Cafe, Ft. Collins

Delaware

Penn Cinemas Riverfront, Wilmington

Rehoboth Beach's Movies at Midway, Lewes

Westown Movies, Middletown

Florida

Sun-Ray Cinema, Jacksonville

Swap-Shop Drive-In, Ft. Lauderdale

Georgia

Plaza Theater, Atlanta

Illinois

Hollywood Blvd. Cinemas, Woodridge

Art Theater Co-Op, Champaign (beginning 1/2)

Indiana

Jasper 8 Theatres, Jasper

Kentucky

Maiden Alley Cinema, Paducah

Louisiana

Chalmette Movies, Chalmette

The Robinson Film Center, Shreveport

Maryland

Eastpoint Center 10, Baltimore

Massachusetts

AppleCinemas, Cambridge

Michigan

The Bijou, Traverse City

Alamo, Kalamazoo

State Theatre, Ann Arbor

Minnesota

St. Anthony Main Theatre, Minneapolis

The Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minneapolis

Missouri

Alamo Main Street, Kansas City

Chase Park Plaza, St. Louis

MX Movies, St. Louis

New Mexico

John Cocteau Cinema, Santa Fe

New York

Alamo, Yonkers

Cinema Village, Manhattan

Cinemopalis, Ithica

Cinema Arts Centre, Huntington

Island Cinemas, Mastic

Kew Gardens Theatre, Queens

North Carolina

Palace Pointe, Roxboro

North Dakora

Fargo Theatre, Fargo

Ohio

Gateway Film Center, Columbus

Tower City Cinemas, Cleveland

Oklahoma

Circle Cinema, Tulsa

Oregon

Fox Theatre, Dallas

Pennsylvania

Southside Works Cinema, Pittsburgh

Rhode Island

Cable Car Cinema and Cafe

South Carolina

Terrace Theatre, Charleston

The Nickelodeon, Columbia (starting 12/26)

Tennessee

Belcourt Theatre, Nashville

Franklin Theatre, Franklin

Texas

Alamo Lakeline, Austin

Alamo Slaughter, Austin

Alamo South Lamar, Austin

Alamo Ritz, Austin

Alamo Vintage Park, Houston

Alamo Mason Park, Katy

Alamo, Lubbock

Alamo Marketplace, New Braunfels

Alamo, Richardson

Alamo Park North, San Antonio

Alamo Westlakes, San Antonio

City Base Cinema, San Antonio

Look Cinemas, Dallas

Utah

Brewvies Cinemas Pub, Salt Lake City

Megaplex Theatres, South Jordan

Vermont

Merril's Roxy, Burlington

Virginia

Alamo Loudoun, Ashburn

Cinemall, Abingdon

Wisconsin

Fond du Lac Theatre, Fond du Lac

Grand Cinema Theaters, New London

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*UPDATE* Sorry Kim Jong-un: Sony to Release 'The Interview' on Christmas Day After All

*UPDATE* Sony has released an official statement confirming The Interview will open on Christmas Day in select theaters. While some exhibitors have stated it would also get a VOD release, that's not mentioned in the statement. So at this point we can probably expect the film to play in about 100 theaters, a big drop off from what it normally would have been. However, that could be made up for if people buy it On Demand.

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.”

Original story is below:

Adding fuel to the fire this whole thing with Sony and The Interview was just one big marketing stunt, Sony is expected to announce today that the film will be released on Christmas Day as originally planned. According to The Wrap and confirmed by a few theater chains already, Sony has authorized release of the controversial Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy that was cancelled after threats by hacker group.

The film is to be released in select theaters and also through VOD, perhaps allowing those who have taken the violent threats seriously to watch it in the safety of their own homes. A number of celebrities, along with some theater owners, were pushing Sony to release the film, and it Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse tweeted theaters will definitely be showing it...

"Breaking news: Sony has authorized screenings of THE INTERVIEW on Christmas Day. We are making shows available within the hour. #Victory"

More details should come soon, like the On Demand service Sony plans to use to distribute the film.

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Sony now says 'The Interview' will be Distributed in some Way

Sony has been engaging in some serious revisionist history over the weekend while everybody has been distracted with Christmas shopping. Perhaps it's due to the backlash by vocal critics like George Clooney and President Barack Obama, who weren't pleased at their decision to cancel The Interview in the wake of terrorist threats posed (presumably, I'm not so certain) by North Korea. While the exhibitors certainly forced Sony's hand, their blanket statement that "Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film" was pretty clear. And yet they are trying to backtrack on that now. Can someone cue the music from Fame because there's some serious tap dancing going on here.

Sony's lawyer David Boies told Meet the Press "Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed. It will be distributed. How it's going to be distributed, I don't think anybody knows quite yet. But it's going to be distributed." Boies said Sony merely "delayed" release of the film, which is contradicted by their previous statements.

Despite a story in the New York Post claiming The Interview would be streamed on Sony's Crackle service, that won't be happening. Statements had been made earlier in the week that Sony was having trouble finding a digital partner to put the movie online, but perhaps they have now  found a distributor. Game of Thrones' George RR Martin is one who has been pushing aggressively for Sony to release the film to smaller distributors, just to get the movie out there...

Martin: “I have been in communication with the owners and operators of other independent cinemas and arthouses, and representatives of some of the smaller chains, and I know that hundreds of these venues would gladly screen this film, if only Sony will make it available. Regal and AMC and the megaplexes may have caved, but the independents have not. Sony could have the film on five hundred screens by Christmas, if it wants to.”

With all of the controversy surrounding this ridiculous little film, could you imagine the kind of business The Interview could pull for art house theater chains, and for Sony, if it gets released as Martin hopes? No matter what happens I just want this whole thing to be over with. It's been an embarrassment on multiple levels.

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Hackers Maybe Sorta Okay with Edited Version of 'The Interview'; Obama says Sony made a Mistake

Today the FBI made what we all knew official, confirming that North Korea was behind the cyber attacks that have crippled and embarrassed Sony Pictures. Here is part of the statement:

"As a result of our investigation, and in close collaboration with other U.S. Government departments and agencies, the FBI now has enough information to conclude that the North Korean government is responsible for these actions."

The attacks which led to Sony internal emails, film scripts, salaries, and other damaging information being leaked to the public, were to force the studio to halt release of the comedy, The Interview, for its depiction of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un being assassination in rather glorious fashion.  The film was taken off the schedule after violent threats were made, causing quite the outcry from Hollywood and others critical of the decision. While it looks like the film won't ever see the light of day, if it were to happen it seems the hacker group is of two minds on how to react.

USA Today reported that Guardians of Peace released a statement saying it was okay for Sony to release the James Franco/Seth Rogen comedy, as long as certain edits were made....

This is GOP.
You have suffered through enough threats.
We lift the ban.
The Interview may release now.
But be carful.
September 11 may happen again if you don't comply with the rules.
Rule #1: no death scene of Kim Jong Un being too happy
Rule #2: do not test us again
Rule #3: if you make anything else, we will be here ready to fight

What's interesting is this is the polar opposite to a message they reportedly sent to Sony execs stating they were "very wise" to cancel The Interview, but now the film needed to be done away with utterly...

"Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for instance, DVD or piracy. And we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately."

The conflicting messages have left some confused about what the next step could be for Sony, who some have estimated could lose more than $75M on the film. Meanwhile, President Obama has come out against Sony's decision to give in to the terrorist threats, saying...

"I wish they had spoken to me first. I would have told them do not get into a pattern in which you're intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks." He added, "I am sympathetic to the concerns that they face. Having said all that, yes I think they made a mistake."

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George Clooney Calls Out Hollywood for being a Bunch of Cowards

Has there been a story over the last couple of weeks that doesn't touch upon the Sony leaks in some way? If so it certainly doesn't feel like it, and with the studio's decision to yank The Interview out of theaters, giving in to threats from a hacker group linked to North Korea, the ripple effects are still being felt. There has been a vocal backlash against the move to not release the comedy in any form, and one of the loudest voices against it is George Clooney.

While speaking with Deadline, Clooney openly questioned why Hollywood didn't band together to help Sony while they were being publicly bullied day in and day out. He even attempted to circulate a petition rallying some support for the studio, but didn't get many takers because Sony had been so humiliated...

Clooney: "All that it is basically saying is, we’re not going to give in to a ransom. As we watched one group be completely vilified, nobody stood up. Nobody took that stand. Now, I say this is a situation we are going to have to come to terms with, a new paradigm and a new way of handling our business. Because this could happen to an electric company, a car company, a newsroom. It could happen to anybody."

He went on to add...

Clooney:  "This is just where we are right now, how scared this industry has been made. Quite honestly, this would happen in any industry. I don’t know what the answer is, but what happened here is part of a much larger deal. A huge deal. And people are still talking about dumb emails. Understand what is going on right now, because the world just changed on your watch, and you weren’t even paying attention."

And of course Clooney would be the guy to come out and say this. His career as a filmmaker has been about making movies that focus on hot button topics; the kinds of films that may offend some and make studios nervous. He recognizes those kinds of films could be harder to make if distributors are too afraid to release them...

Clooney:  "What’s going to happen is, you’re going to have trouble finding distribution. In general, when you’re doing films like that, the ones that are critical, those aren’t going to be studio films anyway. Most of the movies that got us in trouble, we started out by raising the money independently. But to distribute, you’ve got to go to a studio, because they’re the ones that distribute movies. The truth is, you’re going to have a much harder time finding distribution now. And that’s a chilling effect."

How to resolve this whole thing? Clooney says The Interview needs to be released. Now. And he says Sony's Amy Pascal feels the same way...

Clooney:  "We should be in the position right now of going on offense with this. I just talked to Amy an hour ago. She wants to put that movie out. What do I do? My partner Grant Heslov and I had the conversation with her this morning. Bryan and I had the conversation with her last night. Stick it online. Do whatever you can to get this movie out. Not because everybody has to see the movie, but because I’m not going to be told we can’t see the movie. That’s the most important part. We cannot be told we can’t see something by Kim Jong-un, of all f*cking people."

Clooney's got a bunch of points here that I think are valid and will certainly be discussed more over the coming months, possibly even years. The Interview has now become a historical fixture, whether it ever gets released or not.

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Watch the Face-Melting Scene from 'The Interview' North Korea Hates

And the beat goes on. Sony's decision to yank The Interview off the release calendar has sent ripples throughout Hollywood and affected other studios. Fox shuttered a North Korea-based thriller from Gore Verbinski and Steve Carell because they didn't want to ruffle any feathers. And Paramount is stopping theaters from showing Team America: World Police as a replacement, maybe because they're afraid Kim Jong-il is actually still alive somewhere? And all this because a couple of actors had the temerity to kill his dictatorial son, Kim Jong-un, in a stupid comedy movie. Well, now you can see why North Korea was ready to go to war over it.

The hackers have now leaked a version of Kim Jong-un's fiery death scene in the movie, and damn Rogen was not fu**ing around! It's like something out of Terminator...it's like his head was the Death Star and Luke just tapped into the Force. Because it is officially Sony/Columbia Pictures property we won't be posting it directly, but you can check it from Gawker right here. 

Basically, the scene shows Jong-un dying in a fiery explosion, slowed down so you see every bit of him go up in flames all while a version of Katy Perry's "Firework" plays in the background. The scene caused some tension behind-the-scenes as Rogen, Sony's Amy Pascal (how many emails does she get a day?????), and Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai went back and forth on its graphic nature. Hirai demanded the scene be scaled back significantly, which Rogen complied with, albeit reluctantly. He said in one email dated from October...

"We removed the fire from the hair and the entire wave of secondary head chunks. Please tell us this is over now."

All sides were able to compromise on a toned down version, one with fewer "head chunks".

For Sony there appears to be no end in sight. They probably hoped the decision not to release The Interview would normalize things somewhat, but clearly that is not the case and this will only inflame (no pun intended) the situation further. 

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'The Interview' won't Even get a VOD Release; North Korea Linked to Cyber Attack

The Interview is over before it ever truly began. Should've written a cover letter.  After the country's biggest theater chains decided against running the controversial comedy starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, Sony Pictures decided to pull the film from the its Christmas Day release altogether after a threat of violence by cyber-terrorists. That led to some hope it could get a digital release through VOD or some other platform, but that's not going to be happening, either.

According to a Sony spokesperson speaking with Deadline, the studio “has no further release plans for the film”.

This is another surprising decision in a day full of them. Sony left the decision to show the comedy up to the individual exhibitors, and the five biggest quickly dropped out. The film drew the anger of North Korea because the plot has Franco and Rogen attempting to kill a stylized version of Kim Jong-un. But Sony's move to not release the film in any way is especially curious now that senior U.S. officials have drawn a connection between the cyber attacks and North Korea. While they did not reveal details, the conclusion is North Korea orchestrated the hacking that has publicly humiliated Sony since last month. There is some speculation they may have had assistance from insiders within Sony. One U.S. official said “This is of a different nature than past attacks."

And so the saga continues. Chances are we will see The Interview some day in some form once this whole thing dies down. Whether audiences will care at that point is another story. [NYT]

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'The Interview' Release Officially Cancelled by Sony

The cyber attack that has so thoroughly embarrassed Sony Pictures over the last couple of weeks took a dangerous turn when the culprits began issuing threats of 9/11-style violence against theaters showing James Franco/Seth Rogen comedy, The Interview. Two major theater chains pulled the film from their Christmas Day release schedule in response, while press screenings and premieres were cancelled all across the country. And then today Regal Cinemas, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark,  and all major US theater chains decided against showing the film, ultimately forcing Sony's hand to cancel the release completely.

The decision isn't surprising, but it's expected to cost the studio millions in lost marketing and box office receipts. Here is the studio's official statement:

"In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.

Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome."

The situation began when the plot of the R-rated comedy became widely known. Rogen and Franco play entertainers hired by the U.S. government to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, and of course it goes comedically haywire. The decision to drop the film sets an ugly precedent for a number of reasons. First of all, there is no credible evidence the hacker group has the capability to pull off such an attack, or so says the Department of Homeland Security. So giving in to them only opens the doors to other such situations to arise on any number of controversial subjects. But it also shows the ultimate power of the distributors to control what gets seen and what doesn't. There are only a few major film distributors and if one or two decide a plot is too risque what's to stop them from wielding their strength?

The DHS is still investigating the threats and there is a chance Sony releases the film in a few weeks. Or, perhaps they cut their losses, save a few bucks on distribution fees, and release the film on digital platforms where it's sure to be a hit. 

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9/11-Style Attack Threatened Against Theaters Showing 'The Interview'

While we've all had our share of laughs at the Sony hacking scandal, the issue just took a more serious turn. The perpetrators of the cyber-attack have now warned of 9/11-style attacks against movie theaters showing James Franco and Seth Rogen's comedy, The Interview, which they believe is an "act of war" against North Korea. An excerpt from the message reads:

"Remember the 11th of September 2001.

We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.
(If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)"

 This is obviously a huge step up from just leaking embarrassing emails or revealing actor salaries, and we've already seen Sony respond by canceling  the big New York City premiere of the film which was to be held on Thursday. At least two theater chains, Carmike Cinemas and ArcLight Cinemas, have announced they won't show the movie at all due to the threats. We've also seen Franco and Rogen cancel their press commitments for the film in response.

There's little reason to believe the cyber-terrorists, who call themselves the "Guardians of Peace" (???), have the capability to pull an attack like this off, and the Department of Homeland Security says there is no evidence these threats are legitimate. However, if the plan was to get people to stay away from the film out of fear it may have worked.

There is an advance screening of The Interview here in DC tonight, and obviously given the city we live in the threat of a terrorist attack is somewhat heightened.  I'm one of those people who believes you battle terrorism, which all about using fear to progress a political or social agenda, by doing everything you would normally do. So I will be there tonight because that's what I would be doing any other night.  Now do I expect the security to be tighter than just making sure nobody has their IPhone on? It damn well better be. I just find it amazing that any group, whether it's led by North Korea or not, would be offended at such an obviously harmless comedy like The Interview. Kim Jong-un needs to chill out and save his taepodong for some of Sony's more offensive projects. Did he see The Amazing Spider-Man 2, by chance?

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Kim Jong-Un and James Franco Love Katy Perry in Final Trailer for 'The Interview'

We've seen a lot from Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy The Interview, but one thing we've yet to see much of is Randall Park as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. Maybe that was a deliberate effort due to all of the controversy that has surrounded the film (it's an act of war, apparently), or maybe it was just to maintain some level of mystery. Whatever the reason, all of that changes now with the hilarious final trailer which shows how Jong-Un and Franco get along as best buds.

Franco plays a clownish TV personality with Rogen (who also co-directs with Evan Goldberg) as his loyal producer, who are tasked by the CIA with assassinating Kim Jong-Un while on assignment in North Korea. How do you think that goes? Horrible, of course, but the biggest problem seems to be that Franco and Jong-Un have more in common than they thought, like a deep adoration for Katy Perry.

Also starring Lizzy Caplan, The Interview opens Christmas Day.

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Kim Jong-un is James Franco's Fan in Red Band Trailer for 'The Interview'

That title is ironic because North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is most definitely not a fan of James Franco or Seth Rogen right now. In fact, Jong-un has already declared their R-rated spy comedy The Interview an "act of war" with a demand the film be halted or face some kind of terrible retribution. Well if he was mad then, this new red band trailer isn't likely to make him feel any better.

Franco and Rogen play a pair of Hollywood dim wits who head to North Korea to interview Kim Jong-un, but are instead recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. It's a pretty stupid concept but the same can be said of every one of the duo's collaborations (Pineapple Express, This is the End) and those turned out pretty well. There are worse things than Franco and Rogen doing their own take on Spies like Us with an dumber pair of morons at the center of it. And besides, with all of the controversy the film has sparked you know they're going to bring it.

Directed by Rogen and Evan Goldberg with Lizzy Caplan and Rob Lowe co-starring, The Interview opens Christmas Day, just don't expect to see it in North Korea.


The Interview (2014) - Red Band Trailer [VO-HD] by Eklecty-City.fr

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Seth Rogen and James Franco's 'The Interview' Called an "Act of War" by North Korea

Admit it, you know that trailer for The Interview was trouble the instant you saw it. Given some of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's past...ummmm, let's just say "unpredictable" behavior, there was every likelihood that Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy in which they try to assassinate him was going to cause an international incident. And so it most certainly has with threats of war being thrown into the mix.

A bluntly worded statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Korean Central News Agency calls the release of the film an act of war, although the title of the movie is never stated...

“If the United States administration tacitly approves or supports the release of this film, we will take a decisive and merciless countermeasure."

This comes after the Jong-un's regime publicly denounced The Interview on Monday, while adding some odd conspiracy theories about Presidential assassinations. Says executive director Kim Myong Chol...

"A film about the assassination of a foreign leader mirrors what the U.S. has done in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. And let us not forget who killed [President John F.] Kennedy — Americans. In fact, President [Barack] Obama should be careful in case the U.S. military wants to kill him as well."

For what it's worth, Rogen doesn't seem too upset that his movie could start WWIII or something...

People don't usually wanna kill me for one of my movies until after they've paid 12 bucks for it. Hiyooooo!!!
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) June 25, 2014

The Interview opens October 10th. Anybody know when it opens in North Korea? Probably never.  [NYT]

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James Franco and Seth Rogen Hunt a Dictator in Trailer for 'The Interview'

It was only last summer that Seth Rogen took his career to a whole new level with This Is the End, a hilarious apocalyptic comedy that marked his directorial debut alongside Evan Goldberg. The film turned out to be a smash, and Rogen got to hang out with his buddies for the entire thing. And while he's still riding high on his latest starring turn in Neighbors, Rogen has another ridiculous laugher on the way in The Interview, a spy comedy that reunites him with Goldberg and Pineapple Express's James Franco.

The "western capitalist pigs" have released the first trailer for The Interview along with a crazy new poster that has Rogen and Franco looking like a couple of James Bond-types. Rogen stars and co-directs the film, playing the producer and best friend of a celebrity talk show host (Franco) who scores a major sit-down with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un (Randall Park), only to have the CIA ask them to assassinate him. So basically this is Rogen's take on Spies Like Us, only this looks a heck of a lot funnier.

Also starring Lizzy Caplan and Timothy Simons (Veep), The Interview opens October 10th.

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Lizzy Caplan Joins James Franco and Seth Rogen for 'The Interview'

Get read because you're going to be seeing a lot of Lizzy Caplan from now on, and I for one couldn't be happier. Coming off of last year's VOD smash comedy Bachelorette, Caplan has continued her climb up the Hollywood ladder with the successful debut of Showtime series, Masters of Sex, and now she's set to hook up with old pals Seth Rogen and James Franco for their latest pairing.

Caplan has snagged the female lead in The Interview, which marks the follow-up by This is the End writers/directors Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The film has Rogen and Franco as a producer and talk show host who find themselves in the middle of an assassination plot against the North Korean leader. Caplan will take on the role of Agent Lacy, reuniting with the duo she starred in four episodes of Freaks and Geeks with years ago. She had a small appearance with Franco in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, but she hasn't worked with Rogen since the very first episode of Judd Apatow's underrated series Undeclared back in 2001.

In addition, Randall Park (Veep) has landed the role of intended assassination victim Kim Jong-Un (what, no Ken Jeong??), while Jamie Chung (Sorority Row) may play a member of his team who falls in love with Rogen. So it looks like all of the pieces are coming together for The Interview to be ready by its release date on October 10th 2014.[Deadline/BleedingCool]

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