Entertainmentthe interviewthe interview sony

Largest Movie Theater Companies Drop 'The Interview' (UPDATE)

Largest Movie Theater Companies Drop 'The Interview'
By 

Entertainment Editor, The Huffington Post

UPDATE: Sony said in a statement that "The Interview" will not be released in theaters on Dec. 25.

In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.

Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.

EARLIER: The five largest movie theater companies have dropped "The Interview" after threats from the Sony hack. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Regal Entertainment, AMC Entertainment, Cinemark and Cineplex Entertainment have joined Carmike Cinemas in pulling the film from release.

Landmark Sunshine Cinemas also canceled its New York premiere of the film, and another Northeast chain with 55 locations, Bow Tie Cinemas, decided to abandon plans to show the film following the threats. "The safety and comfort of our patrons is foremost in our minds," Bow Tie CEO Ben Moss told Variety. It was previously reported by TheWrap that ArcLight Cinemas would not show "The Interview," but in a statement given to The Huffington Post, a representative said that no decision has been made.

Carmike Cinemas, was first to drop "The Interview," which is scheduled for release on Christmas Day. The decisions to pull "The Interview" come after a cyber hack against Sony Pictures threatened the theaters that showed the film. "We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places 'The Interview' be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to," a note published Tuesday read.

When the threats surfaced, officials from the Department of Homeland Security told the Huffington Post that even though they were aware of the note, "there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters within the United States."

Combined, these companies make up approximately 1,646 movie theaters in North America.

"Due to wavering support of the film 'The Interview' by Sony Pictures, as well as the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats, Regal Entertainment Group has decided to delay the opening of the film in our theaters," a representative for Regal said in a statement to The Huffington Post.

Representatives for Sony, as well as AMC, Cinemark and Cineplex Entertainment were not immediately available for comment. According to Variety, Sony executives have reportedly discussed releasing "The Interview" via on-demand services.

A previous version of this story stated that ArcLight Cinemas had pulled "The Interview."

Before You Go

Fanning The Flames Of War With North Korea
YouTube
Franco's latest flick, "The Interview" isn't set for release until October, but already the film starring himself and Seth Rogan as undercover assassins tasked with killing Kim Jong Un has created a lot of buzz... in North Korea.Back in June, the country's foreign ministry released a statement describing the film as a "wanton act of terror and act of war, and is absolutely intolerable". Needless to say, Franco probably won't be invited to shoot some hoops with the country's "supreme leader" any time soon.
That Time He Blasted "Spring Breakers 2" On Social Media
Getty
Back in May, Franco made a scene on social media after finding out a sequel to "Spring Breakers" was a go. Franco, who starred in the first film as the character of Alien, blasted producers for green-lighting the film. He went on to call the future flick a "terrible film" on his Instagram."I want everyone to know that whoever is involved in the sequel is jumping on board a poison ship. It will be a terrible film, with a horrible reason d'être: to make money off someone else's creativity."
His Semi-Naked Selfie
Instagram
If you follow James Franco on Instagram, you'll know it's a treasure trove for oddities, but none can top his semi-naked selfie. The photo was eventually taken down and the actor never really addressed its (brief) existence.
That Time He Made A Sex Tape
YouTube
He can direct feature-length films, but don't ask James Franco to direct any pornos. Here's what he had to say during an interview with Conan O'Brien. "When I was young, it's not like I went down to Van Nuys and tried to break into the porn industry, I got a video camera and my girlfriend and I decided to film ourselves," he laughed. "And watched it back and said yeah, let's never watch that again."
The "Lindsay Lohan" Episode
Getty
Earlier this summer, Lindsay Lohan's infamous list of men she allegedly slept with was leaked to the media. According to US Magazine, some the men on the list included Justin Timberlake, Orlando Bloom and James Franco. Franco denied ever sleeping with the troubled star, but did go on to write a short story about Lohan, though he claims his character was a fictional character sharing the same name. In Franco's story he claimed "Lindsay" made advances on him and that the two spent the night together but never had sex. Lohan was reportedly not pleased.
That Time His Drama Prof. Launched A Lawsuit Against Him
He's taught at the University of Southern California as well as UCLA, NYU and Columbia but before his days as a prof, James Franco was a university student, albeit not a very good one academically. Back in 2012, Jose Angel Santana launched a lawsuit against Franco after he says he was sacked for handing Franco a D due to his shoddy attendance. Franco went on to call Santana a "bad teacher". The two eventually reached a settlement in September of 2013.
His Oscars Gig. 'Nuff Said.
Getty
The 2011 Oscars went down in history for its one major upset: the presenters, James Franco and Anne Hathaway. The pair's unorthodox and often awkward performance drew equal parts criticism and controversy. At one point, Franco dressed up in drag to channel as Marilyn Monroe. Franco later said he 'felt trapped' as host. Presenters Anne Hathaway and James Franco, in drag, appear on stage during the 83rd annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on February 27, 2011.
That Time With The 17-Year-Old Girl

AOL On
Here's a lesson for all adults on social media: don't try to pick up teenagers. Back in April, photos showing Franco's flirtatious advances with a 17-year-old fan leaked online. The exchange goes something along the lines of this: the two started chatting on Instagram, Franco asked for the girl number, then asked if she was single and where she was staying in New York. He then asked if he should rent a room of his own there. The conversation exploded on the Internet and Franco later went on an interview with " Live With Kelly and Michael" to clear the air, saying the experience left him "embarrassed", adding that he "used bad judgment".
|
Submit a tip

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot