UPDATE: While a source tells BuzzFeed News there are “no discussions at this time” for what could happen with the film, that does not preclude the possibility of some kind of release at a later date.
Diana Bang, Seth Rogen, and James Franco in The Interview
Ed Araquel / Columbia Pictures
Sony pictures has pulled The Interview from its Dec. 25 release date, the studio said in a statement on Wednesday.
The decision was the depressing climax to a weeks-long nightmare after Sony Pictures Entertainment suffered on Nov. 24 a massive and unprecedented hack of roughly 100TB of embarrassing, sensitive, and confidential data. On Monday, the group claiming responsibility for the hack, whose members call themselves the Guardians of Peace, threatened theaters that plan on showing the film The Interview — which depicts the assassination of North Korea leader Kim Jong Un. "We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places 'The Interview' be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to," the group said in a statement. "Remember the 11th of September 2001."
Evoking the 9/11 attacks for a movie scheduled for release on Christmas appeared to be the rhetorical touch necessary to doom the movie from reaching theaters. Sony canceled all press for the film, including its New York premiere, and reportedly told exhibitors that the studio would not object if they chose not to screen the movie. Within 24 hours, that is exactly what happened, with the top four theater chains — Regal, AMC, Cinemark, and Carmike — all electing to pull the film from their theaters.
Without exhibitor support, it was an almost foregone conclusion that Sony would have no choice but to pull the film outright.
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.
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