After previously announcing that it is withdrawing the Dec. 25 release of The Interview, Sony Pictures Entertainment has reversed the decision and will be allowing the controversial film to be shown in select theaters in the United States.
President Barack Obama earlier criticized Sony Pictures' move to withdraw the showing of The Interview, stating that it was a mistake to do so. The White House is now praising the reversal of Sony Pictures' stance on the movie's release.
Sony Pictures will have "a limited theatrical release" for the movie, which features co-stars Seth Rogen and James Franco in a comedy about a planned assassination of Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea.
Rogen and Franco expressed their thoughts on Sony's decision to continue with a limited release of their movie.
"The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed!" said Rogen.
"VICTORY!!!!!!! The PEOPLE and THE PRESIDENT have spoken!!!" added Franco.
Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton said that Sony Pictures never gave up on releasing the movie, adding that the company is still seeking more options for the film's screening on other platforms and additional theaters.
The Interview was pulled from being shown in major U.S. movie houses due to threats of violence against theaters that would show the film.
The first signal that the movie might be shown after all in the U.S. came in the form of a tweet by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founder Tim League, stating that the chain was planning to continue showing the movie. Tickets for the screenings of the movie sold out within minutes.
Plaza Atlanta shortly followed with its announcement that it will be showing The Interview. Other locations include Michael Moore's The Bijou theater in Traverse City, Mich. and George R.R. Martin's Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, N.M.
The list of locations that will show the movie is currently growing, with the number not yet finalized as Sony Pictures seeks to have the film shown in more theaters. It is also unclear whether major movie theaters will likewise reverse their decision and push through with releasing The Interview.
There have also been reports that Sony Pictures will release the film through video-on-demand channels, though the plan has not yet been confirmed by the company.
The statements issued by hackers, which threatened to unleash violence at locations that would push through with showing the movie and invoked memories of the 9/11 attacks, were not deemed credible by authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security said that there is no gathered intelligence that points to a possible planned attack on movie theaters in the U.S.
