After making its way to select theaters on Christmas Day, Sony’s previously canceled comedy about the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has stretched its way across the web through a variety of online services. The film began distribution on Sony Pictures’ own website at seetheinterview.com on Dec 24, along with access to the movie via YouTube, Google Play, and Microsoft’s Xbox Video Store, as well as a later release on iTunes.
Today, Variety reports a new deal with “top U.S. cable satellite, and telco TV providers” that will see the movie released via on-demand and pay-per-view services, with availability expected as early as today. In addition, the movie will reportedly make its way to 250 additional independent theaters on Friday, Jan 2, pushing the number of theaters to over 580.
Major TV providers that will carry the agitating film include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Bright House Networks, DirecTV, Verizon FiOS TV, Charter Communications, Cablevision, and AT&T U-verse TV. The only major pay-TV provider that did not sign on for distribution is Dish Network.
The cost on most services has been $6 to rent and $15 to buy, and the pay-TV operators are expected to offer the movie for the same rate, at $6 per view. In addition the movie is available from Vudu, and it is expected to also make its way to Netflix once the VOD (video-on-demand) services have hauled in sufficient revenue from the film.
Related: The Interview pulls in over $15 million over the holiday weekend
“We have always sought the widest possible distribution for The Interview and want to thank our new partners for helping us make that happen,” said chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment Michael Lynton.
The film’s cancellation came after the Guardians of Peace hacker group referenced 9/11 in a threat against any theater showing the film, originally slated for a Christmas Day release. All major theater chains in the United States pulled out of the release after that threat was made. The group has claimed responsibility for the recent Sony hack that resulted in the leak of corporate emails, unreleased Sony movies, and other Sony employee data and communications.
The FBI has previously stated that the Guardians of Peace has connections to North Korea, underscoring the subject matter of The Interview as the reason behind the Sony hack, but recent reports indicate that the call may have originated from inside the house. According to a candid interview with the Washington Post, the Guardians of Peace was aided by another hacker organization, Lizard Squad, which claims to have handed over employee logins to the group.
It’s still difficult to pin down exactly how many players there were in the massive attack. However, if you’ve been eyeing a way to see what has perhaps become the most controversial and sensationalized buddy comedy in modern film history, it should soon be as easy as picking up your remote control.
