LOS ANGELES/WASHINGTON: Sony Pictures cleared the way yesterday for release of The Interview in some US theatres on Christmas Day, less than a week after pulling the movie following a devastating cyberattack that has been blamed on North Korea.
Sony Pictures Chief Executive Michael Lynton said there would be “a limited theatrical release” in the United States of the comedy about a fictional plot to assassinate North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, and said the studio was looking for more options to screen the film.
Sony Pictures last Wednesday cancelled the December 25 release after major US theatre chains pulled out of showing the film because of threats from hackers. It said it was “deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie.”
Lynton said in yesterday’s statement: “We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theatres on Christmas Day.” He said Sony was trying to secure other platforms and more theatres “so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience.”
The White House said President Barack Obama was pleased that Sony had rethought its decision. “The decision made by Sony and participating theatres allows people to make their own choices about the film, and we welcome that outcome,” presidential spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement.
Obama on Friday called Sony’s decision to pull the movie a mistake, suggesting it could set a bad precedent in which “some dictator some place can start imposing censorship here in the United States.”
It remained unclear how many theatres would be allowed to screen the film and if major movie chains, which had decided not to open the film last week owing to security concerns, would join the group of authorised exhibitors.
A national security official said US authorities did not rate the threats by hackers against theatre-goers as credible and that he was unaware of any plans by US agencies to issue warnings of possible attacks to cinemas screening the film.REUTERS
