UPDATE: Now word is that Paramount Pictures will not offer any showings of Team America: World Police. Theaters planning to show the film are being forced to cancel their screenings by the company. More details on this here.
Our original story, follows...
After the recent terrorist threat against the film The Interview came out of the Sony Hacking Scandal, many movie theater chains publicly announced that they would not show the movie. And as a result, Sony executives completely pulled the the film out of theaters. The responses towards this decision have been mixed, but one theater in particular decided to say "America, F Yeah" and troll North Korea by showing Team America: World Police instead.
The Texas-based theater, Alamo Drafthouse had hoped to still play the controversial film, The Interview despite the hacking threats, but when Sony pulled the film completely, they did the next best thing—plan a giant Team America party complete with sing-alongs, streamers, balloons, and American flags. Alamo Drafthouse tweeted the announcement last night:
In case you never saw or don’t recall the plot of Team America, the film, told with puppets, follows a hilarious American anti-terrorist force who will take down entire cities just to complete their anti-terrorist world mission. The late Kim Jong-il plays the main villain intent on world destruction, and Team America use their incredible skillset (including the best acting in the world) to defeat the "ronery" little man.
Team America, and the Alamo Drafthouse will be saying a big "America, F Yeah" to the mess that has been created from this recent terrorist threat. The decision to pull the movie from theaters when hackers vowed to unleash 9/11 type violence at places showing the film is creating an uproar. Not only does it prove that Hollywood has the means, and ease in pulling an entire movie when it does not seem fit for profit, but also goes completely against freedom of creative expression.
In the past few days, many celebrities have taken it upon themselves to voice their own shock and disgust at Sony’s response to pull the film. And the Alamo’s response is probably the best one yet. Because it proves that movies are there for creativity, expression, and entertainment. A film like Team America may have included aspects of its then current global politics, but it is a parody, a comedy, meant to take a jab at the world we live in, and to keep us laughing.
Seth Rogan, James Franco, filmmakers, and that entire crew that worked tirelessly on The Interview did not deserve to see all that hard work and money spent completely disappear. I doubt the movie was aimed at being any realistic portrayal of an assassination, but regardless it was made to be seen and speak on a difficult subject in its own comedic way.
