"The Interview" has been scrapped

http://deadline.com/2014/12/sony-scraps-the-interview-1201328639/

Who loses the money when this stuff happens? The film makers, actors, Sony, theaters? All of them?

I heard a movie that was to be set in North Korea that starred Steve Carell has also been scrapped.

I was really looking forward to this movie, looked hilarious.

What? WHAT? Are you freaking serious? Are they that scared of North Korea?

Everyone I think (Investors and stockholders I imagine would also would feel the effect, but I'm not sure). The staff who worked on the film I believe have already been paid during production, but I don't think they will get royalties.

Sony stockholders will more than likely feel the hit as well. This has been the capper for an already miserable year, pre-hack. They cut back their movie release schedule, ASM 2 severely underperformed to the studio's expectations (so much so they pushed back the release date for the third movie to 2018), they don't have any other viable franchises at the moment...I think a number of people at Sony will definitely lose their jobs before this is said and done.

Sad how weak the USA has become. Shows how far we have fallen when a country like North Korea scares the crap outta us.

Jeezus.

I can understand not releasing it theatrically if most theater owners were not willing to show it even if it were released.

But, I mean...the movie is DONE, right? Isn't that a pretty big hit to just scrap the entire thing completely after it's already been made? Wouldn't it be better to at least delay it and then make a deal with Netflix or something? Couldn't that at least recuperate SOME of the money that already went into making this movie completely done?

Or, what...is there a fear that such a deal would result in Netflix's offices being bombed?

And if so...just how credible is this threat?

I mean, this threat has to at least be pretty credible, right? I mean, I'm sure that various agencies have assessed the risk. I'm all for canning the movie if there's actually a credible threat of innocent people being killed if it is released. But if this is just a mere threat with nothing to back it up as being credible, then it's almost irresponsible to totally scrap the movie based on no evidence. Wouldn't that just ENCOURAGE people to keep pulling this same shit in the future, if a mere threat with nothing to back up that threat results in essentially throwing millions of dollars down the toilet?

And no, I'm not saying to risk innocent lives by showing the movie. I'm just saying...people respond to incentives. If there are no leads on who is making the threat, and if there is nothing indicating that the threat is credible, then doesn't CANNING THE MOVIE ENTIRELY just give people more of an incentive to do this shit later? I can understand delaying the movie until likely suspects are caught, I can understand delaying the movie until finding a way to distribute it that isn't so vulnerable to terrorist attack. But the movie is done. Losing out completely on the millions of dollars that it took to make it only makes sense if this terrorist threat is really fucking credible.

So...just how credible are these threats?

Yeah, but once we go with the 'this looks like shit, but I'm gonna see it just because the terrorists don't want me to see it" mindset, then that sort of IS giving into the thugs. Now that it's established that we'll do the opposite of what they demand just to spite them, then they can just start demanding the opposite of what they WANT and they'll keep getting rewarded.

I prefer to go with "I hate to not see it when the thugs don't want me to see it, but I honestly wasn't gonna see it before the thugs demanded that I don't see it. In the interest of doing wtf I want to do, I'm still not gonna see it."

The thing is - most people saying that sort of things were probably actually going to go see this beforehand anyways. Seth Rogen movies are super popular.

LOL

US spooked by NK HeHe

I'm a bit confused. Are you saying that most people who take the stance of "I wasn't gonna see it anyway but now I am because **** North korea" are were probably gonna see it all along and are only lying about how shitty they thought the movie looked?

Or are you saying that most people who take my stance of "still not gonna see it because it looked like shit" actually DID want to see it (since it's a Seth Rogen movie), but are only lying about that because they're too chickenshit to admit that the threats actually made them avoid a movie that they previously wanted to see?

Or, are you referring to both points of view?

Not trying to argue or anything, I just genuinely don't know what you are saying. When you refer to "most people saying that sort of things", I can't tell if you're referring to my comment or if you're referring to roulettethedog's comment.

Two Hollywood movies about NK, including a "comedy" revolving around an assassination attempt. Yeah...that Hollywood war machine is up to something...

Just theaters. Sony wasn't, they just caved due to nobody showing it. Will pop up on netflix or the like next year.

I know. I guess it was buisness decision also, fear about losing Sony Consumers in NK something if they happen to boycott Sony :)

"free" labor.

Is it just me or do you REALLY want to watch the movie now just to say f*** you to the oppresors?

I will download/go to the movies or find some means to watch this movie and see what the fuss is all about. Heck if everyone was so sensitive all the movies with presidents of Iraq, US, and other african leaders would be scratched.

But could Sony just make up for there lose with the DVDs? Considering The Interview is crap, I'm sure Sony could recover the losses with DVD sales and I was going to get it anyways.

So if I want something all I have to do is send a threatening message and I'll get it?

I will pirate this movie for...

There's only one word for those who don't think threaters should show this movie because of threats.....COWARDS.

@roulettethedog: Bombed? Why, cause you think it looked dumb? Last two major Rogen comedies have made $125 mil (This Is The End) and $268 mil (Neighbors) worldwide.

What about the next film someone doesn't like? You take a stand if something happens you go after the people responsible hard as a warning to others that there will be a pay back. The Chicago way you put one of ours in the hospital we put one of yours in the graveyard.

Cuba and North Korea

Communists - 2

America - 0

US has nothing to do with Sony's decision.....

@Master_Live said:

I will pirate this movie for...

LOL

Your new avi Heh

Wanted to see this movie after The Worlds end, seems i've to go your way =P

I'll watch this one day while playing Hatred bought from steam

Oh and Team America pissed off North Korea and nothing happend.

I think DVD and digital/VOD sales can only bring in so much. If anything, all of the controversy surrounding the film probably could have actually helped it--I think it might have had a chance to make back it's estimated $42 million budget, plus the additional money spent on promoting it. But at this point, I guess we'll never know.

Well that's a little too overly dramatic. Something just doesn't add up here. As others have said, Sony's decision not to premiere it theatrically is a logical one; its decision to scrap the movie altogether however defies logic at this point. Besides, I think whoever came up with the idea for this movie and whoever approved its production in Sony should both feel equally stupid for failure to anticipate this in some capacity at least before blowing $42 millions on the movie.

The fact that this happened is probably funnier than the movie is anyway.

They've already lost a buttload of money just on this movie alone--$40 mil on making it, probably another $20 mil on advertising. Variety is stating that they're thinking about a VOD release for it.

I wasn't going any way. It looked really stupid. I saw This is The End (Rogan and Franco) loathed it, and thought it was a big waste of time.

That being said, it may be because I'm old and crafty and I see conspiracy where there isn't any BUT i can't help thinking: "Lousy expensive movie, Sony needs money, Suddenly there's a mysterious hacker threat AND A REALLY BIG BUZZ ABOUT A CRAPPY MOVIE."

I hate Seth Rogen as an actor, so I cant really say its a big loss, but still, they shouldn't have given in to demands unless they had some actual credible evidence that the attacks were going down.

i don't think the black eye they get for having an incompetent IT department is soothed much by a little movie buzz

Hope it comes out later on DVD or something..

It's a shame that terrorism could curb freedoms like watching a movie or what a director chooses to create on film. There have been events in the past, but this situation opens up a whole new set of problems.

This is truly unprecedented, depressing, and scary. I wasn't even looking forward to the movie, but damn. Thinking about the future impact of this event is mind-numbing.

There is some confusion though. The terrorism is the issue, not the victims of the terrorist attacks. I seem some spin doctors are hard at work blaming the wrong culprit.

To be clear Sony Pictures was victimized for daring to create and green light this project with North Korea as a subject. It could have been any company. Sony Pictures didn’t pull the movie because they were scared; they pulled the movie because all the theaters said they were not going to run it. Sony Pictures said they were not going to run it because they talked to their lawyers and those lawyers said if somebody dies in one of these screenings, then Sony was going to be responsible.

And neither are communist. Also Sony is Japanese not American.

Oh and Cuba is a win for US not them as they came to us out of economic need. This new agreement between the USA and Cuba could lead the way for that parties ouster and a new model taking over.

Apparently. :(

What's that you say? Big corporations are run by sniveling cowards? You don't say? Not like the movie looked that good but damn. It really is embarrassing that people are taking NK threats seriously.

This isn't new. Studios pander and bend over to other countries/groups just to not offend anyone. Although it's not widely reported, there were attempts to make movies regarding the Armenian Genocide but none were made because of pressure from Turkish government officials and groups denying the Armenian Genocide. However, unlike those savages threatening violence, the Turks were peaceful and only threatened boycotts.

The premise of The Interview was ridiculous and over the top. Most importantly, it lacks subtlety which is why it's being targeted. You want to make fun of an oppressive regime? Do what Charlie Chaplin did with The Great Dictator or any good parody in the past. It should still be shown however and now that it's becoming controversial, I actually kind of want to see it. Kind of.

don't judge, a town could be cruelly robbed of all their weed dealers if a rogan franco movie premiere was attacked.

This is hardly a killer for Sony. I believe they made somewhere around $1.2 Billion on movies this year alone. This movie had a cost of around $40 million. Yes it's a hit into Sony's revenue but the movie costs just 3% of their income. It won't effect their bottom line that much. The damage to their image because of the leaked emails actually might be more damaging than the loss of revenue from this movie however.

Ehhh what? Cuba is most definitely considered to be a communistic regime and so is North Korea.

Also US certainly have something to do with this decision, its american movie theaters who decided not to show this. Its made by Hollywood and its Sony America who have decided to not release it.

America sure has become the land of the weak.... this sets a dangerous precedent and shows that terrorists can win.

I be surprised if Sony's other movie Annie flops just because it has Sony's name on it. As muck as I like Jamie Fox, I hope he does well in Annie despite Sony lost some of there reputation.

It's one thing to say they scrapped the project, it's another to say that they aren't sticking with the original release date. From the article in the link:

"“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."

Title of article: It’s Official: Sony Scraps ‘The Interview’

What actually happened: Since the majority of theaters aren't willing to show the movie, it seems that Sony was forced to cancel the Dec. 25th release date. There still is the possibility of DVD/Blu-ray sales and VOD.

There are a number of layers to this which makes Sony lose either way. Terrorist threats are a serious matter so I understand theatres not showing the movie but at the same time they look weak for caving in.

Crazy stuff

Americans rarely know what communism is. Just because the USA considers you something doesn't mean you are. North Korea is Juche and at best Stalinist which is a bastardization of communism and not true communist.

The US government had zero to do with it, this is a free and capitalist country and the government can't stop them from not airing something. Sony is Japanese,Sony Pictures Entertainment is behind this and they are owned by a Japanese company.

Cuba isn't terrorist. But this doesn't affect the US government as it's not the government that chickened out, it was wussy theaters. You can't bully the US government this easily, theaters yes. Maybe if the government protected our border and Obama didn't end our agreement with ICann they wouldn't have peed their pants.

@TheWalkingGhost: uhh the Sony thing in question is american not Japanese

Subsidiary of a Japanese company as I said.

"Sony Pictures Entertainment has chosen to stand down for “The Interview,” deciding against releasing the Seth Rogen-James Franco comedy in any form — including VOD or DVD, as U.S. officials reportedly link Sony’s massive cyber attack to North Korea.

“Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film,” a spokesman said Wednesday."

http://variety.com/2014/film/news/sony-has-no-further-release-plans-for-the-interview-1201382167/

Possible, but then again, many things are possible.