Sony has backtracked on its previous statement which insisted the James Franco and Seth Rogen comedy The Interview would not be released following threats from hackers. The studio has now confirmed the controversial movie WILL eventually be released.
The Interview, which was originally planned to arrive in US cinemas on Christmas Day, follows the story of two journalists played by Rogen and Franco, who are hired to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Amid cyberterrorist threats against any cinema that screened the film, Sony announced last week that they were pulling the film.
The move was criticised by everyone from George Clooney to President Obama, with the US leader calling the move to appease hackers "a mistake." And it sounds like Sony has listened. On Sunday, the studio announced that The Interview WILL be distributed in some capacity. Speaking to Meet the Press Sunday, Sony lawyer David Boies said the comedy film is only being "delayed."
"Sony only delayed this," Boies said, adding that the company is the victim of a "state-sponsored criminal act...Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed. It will be distributed. How it's going to be distributed I don't think anyone knows quite yet."
The Interview (SethRogen/Twitter)
The New York Post are claiming the movie may end up being released by the Sony-owned streaming service Crackle. Sony spokeswoman Lauren Condoluci has said though that no final decision has been made yet, insisting that “Sony is still exploring options for distribution."
Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton meanwhile gave another interview over the weekend, where he pointed out it's not solely down to the studio if and where a movie is released. "I think actually the unfortunate part is, in this instance, the president, the press and the public are mistaken as to what actually happened," Lynton said in response to the public outcry. "We do not own movie theaters. We cannot determine whether or not a movie will be played in movie theaters."
"There are a number of options open to us and we have considered those and are considering them," Lynton added. "As it stands right now – while there have been a number of suggestions that we go out there and deliver this movie digitally or through VOD, there has not been one major VOD – video on demand distributor – one major e-commerce site that has stepped forward and said they are willing to distribute this movie for us."
Mitt Romney notched up over 27,000 retweets last week when he suggested that the studio find a way to release the film online, tweeting: "@SonyPictures don't cave, fight: release @TheInterview free online globally. Ask viewers for voluntary $5 contribution to fight #Ebola."
There could be a solution from BitTorrent, the peer-to-peer file distribution network which have reached out to Sony saying they'd be happy to release the film via their Bundle service. "There have been calls for Sony to release the film online. And many have contacted us asking: Would they be able to release the movie using BitTorrent?" the company said in a statement. "Though we normally would not offer commentary during such a trying time for another company, the answer is yes. BitTorrent Bundle is in fact the very best way for Sony to take back control of their film, not acquiesce to terrorists threats, and to ensure a wide audience can view the film safely. It would also strike a strong note for free speech."
BitTorrent Bundles differs from pirating sites in that instead of files getting shared and downloaded illegally, bundles are a collection of files that can be shared and downloaded legally, either for free or for profit by the controlling site. Thom Yorke distributed his new album in a unique deal with BitTorrent using the method earlier this year.
