Dumb Movie Freedom
In your face, North Korea! Two Houston movie theaters step up to show The Interview anyways
After some back-and-forth in the public arena, The Interview is back on for Christmas Day, and two Alamo Drafthouse theaters in the Houston area are showing the controversial film.
"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," Michael Lynton, Sony Entertainment chairman and CEO, said in a statement.
Alamo head honcho Tim League tweeted out the news, stating that Sony had authorized screenings on Christmas Day. Alamo was one of the entities that joined a petition on Monday, asking the studio to permit release of the film, stating, "The independent exhibitors of America are willing to stand up for freedom . . . the freedom to show R-rated buddy comedies with abundant dick jokes."
A jubilant Rogen took to Twitter, proclaiming, "The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up!"
The movie will play at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Vintage Park and Mason Park in the Houston area.
The film is a stoner comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists who somehow land an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and who are then enlisted by the CIA to try to kill him. It was pulled from theaters after threats from hackers, igniting such a storm of controversy that even President Barack Obama weighed in, saying that he thought that pulling the movie was a mistake.
A jubilant Seth Rogen took to Twitter, proclaiming, "The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up!"