Then roller-coaster ride on which The Interview currently sits took yet another plunge, as Sony Pictures appears to be reversing its decision and allowing select theaters and a VOD model to screen the controversial comedy on Christmas Day.
Using the hashtag #Victory, Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League tweeted that Sony had "authorized" screenings of Seth Rogen and James Franco’s movie. League shared:
The Alamo won’t stand alone. Immediately after, the Plaza Atlanta Theater announced that it would be "one of the few theaters in the nation to open the film," eventually sharing screening dates for planned Christmas Day showings:
And The Wrap reports that a VOD distribution plan could be laid out as early as today.
We don’t know yet if this is just a slight trickle of theaters, or if a floodgate of supporting locations are suddenly about to be announced. Obviously, people are chomping at the bit to be able to see Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s The Interview, for various reasons. There are those who were interested in the reportedly crass and ribald comedy just because it was the next film from the guys who did This Is The End. However, in light of the recent events between Sony and North Korea, seeing and supporting The Interview has become a symbolic way to stand up for freedom of speech, and to oppose censorship of our nation’s media and creative output.
Variety teases "More to come" in its story about the new theaters claiming they can screen The Interview, so it feels like this might be a story that develops throughout the day. Will the major theater chains – from AMC to Regal – backpedal and reverse their decision not to carry the film? When the President of the United States steps up and says that canceling a film is a mistake, you almost feel like reversing the trend and standing up for the movie is the right move to make. And if theaters near you carry The Interview on Christmas Day, will you go? Weigh in below.
