Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday expanded its video-on-demand release of the controversial film "The Interview," the release of which was complicated by a massive cyberattack that the FBI has blamed on North Korea.
The film studio said the Seth Rogen comedy that depicts a fictional assassination plot against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will now be available on DirecTV, and on video-on-demand services through cable carriers Cablevision, Cox Communications, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. The movie will also be available through AT&T’s U-verse TV and Verizon FiOS, and on VUDU, Walmart’s digital video-on-demand service, the company announced.
"We have always sought the widest possible distribution for The Interview, and want to thank our new partners for helping us make that happen," Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Entertainment, said in a statement.
The company also said Wednesday that the number of independent theaters that will show the film will grow from 311 theaters to more than 580 on Friday. Sony’s unorthodox release to smaller theaters and also online came about after major theater chains refused to carry the movie amid threats of violence from hackers. The massive hacking attack also captured personal information about Sony employees and embarrassing emails sent by top Sony executives.
IN-DEPTH
- Activist Plans to Drop 'The Interview' in North Korea by Balloon
- 'The Interview' Sets Sony's All-Time Record for Online Sales
- North Korea Insults Obama, Blames U.S. for Internet Outages
