UPDATE: A official statement from Sony has been released. No word on the VOD release yet.
The situation surrounding the Sony hack and the cancelled release of satirical comedy The Interview continues to evolve, with The Wrap reporting that the studio will be announcing a simultaneous theatrical and VOD release for the film. According to insiders, The Interview will be released in participating theaters, and will also be available the same day through VOD platforms – although information on which platforms will carry the film, or what the price tag will be, is currently unavailable.
The Plaza theater in Atlanta began claiming yesterday that it would be screening the film on Christmas Day, and earlier today The Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League confirmed via Twitter that permission had been granted to show the film:
Breaking news: Sony has authorized screenings of THE INTERVIEW on Christmas Day. We are making shows available within the hour. #Victory
— Tim League (@timalamo) December 23, 2014
The Art House Convergence issued an open letter earlier this week to allow The Interview to be screened at independent theaters, and it looks like that may be where the film lands, at least for right now. THR reports that Sony is telling independent theaters that the film will also be available on VOD at the time of release – a decision which likely won’t sit well with the major theater chains that opted out of screening the film amid threats from a group of hackers last week.
According to The Wrap, Sony is expected to make an official announcement regarding the film’s simultaneous theatrical and VOD release sometime today. We’ll update this story as more information becomes available. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: Here’s the official statement from Sony.
SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES LIMITED THEATRICAL RELEASE OF THE INTERVIEW ON CHRISTMAS DAY
[Hollywood – December 23, 2014] Sony Pictures Entertainment today announced that The Interview will have a limited theatrical release in the United States on Christmas Day.
“We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment. “At the same time, we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience.”
“I want to thank our talent on The Interview and our employees, who have worked tirelessly through the many challenges we have all faced over the last month. While we hope this is only the first step of the film’s release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech.”
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