The fallout from the cancellation of Sony’s The Interview continues, only this time there’s a different studio reacting to the ongoing (and suddenly spreading) controversy by pulling yet another movie from theater screens.
Paramount is blocking theaters from hosting screenings of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s Team America: World Police in place of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s The Interview, according to Tweets posted by the theaters. A handful of theaters across the country planned to substitute screenings of the Seth Rogen- and James Franco-led comedy with the overly patriotic puppet show. Well, the Capitol Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio informed its patrons:
They weren’t alone. The Alamo Drafthouse chain at least planned to screen Team America: World Police in its Dallas-Forth Worth location, but also confirmed on Twitter:
What are "circumstances beyond our control," before everyone goes jumping to conclusions? Could it mean that the theaters couldn’t clear some type of legal obstacle to screen Paramount’s movie in a theater (and charge for tickets)? Or is it another response to the insensitive jokes aimed at North Korea that are included in Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s 2004 comedy. Because as you might recall, former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il came off looking pretty terrible in Team America.
Yet, so did half of Hollywood. Particularly Matt Damon.
This story isn’t over. We have reached out to the studio, and are still hoping for Paramount to release a statement on its decision, because at the moment, we can only go on what the theaters themselves are sharing. But it looks like those who wanted to gather in a group and protest the censorship of The Interview by screaming, "America… fuck yeah!" in a theater will have to move the party to their living rooms for now.
