Fans of James Franco and Seth Rogen (a legion that does not, apparently include my colleague Kevin) may be in luck: Sony is considering releasing The Interview online following the cancellation of its theatrical release.
From The Guardian:
Sony is considering using YouTube to distribute the film, with Lynton saying it was “certainly an option and certainly one thing we will consider.” He said that none of the major VOD services (like Netflix) had stepped forward to offer to host the film, nor would it use its own on-demand service Crackle.
A lawyer for Sony, David Boies, told NBC: “Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed. It will be distributed. How it’s going to be distributed, I don’t think anybody knows quite yet. But it’s going to be distributed.”
The film's theatrical release was canceled due to supposed threats from North Korea following the hacking of old Sony emails and documents. The decision to cancel was criticized by everyone from President Obama and the Republican National Committee. In a similarly absurd move, Paramount prohibited theaters from having free screenings of Team America: World Police, another movie that lampoons North Korea.
North Korea is now threatening to bomb the White House if the United States keeps blaming them for the cyberattack on Sony.
While I didn't really plan on seeing The Interview in theaters, I likely will watch it if it's released online. This tweet sums things up well:
I wanted to CHOOSE not to see The Interview.
— Ready for Brennan (@Brennanator) December 17, 2014