Controversial film ‘The Interview’ released online by Sony

“The Interview,” the provocative comedy that triggered a devastating cyber attack on Sony Pictures, went straight to U.S. consumers on Wednesday in an unprecedented online debut after hacker threats prevented its wide release on Christmas day.

The film was available for rental on Google Inc’s YouTube site as of early Wednesday afternoon. Microsoft Corp and Sony itself are also showing the comedy, a day before the hastily scheduled premiere at some 320 independent theaters. Google Canada is also offering the movie.

It is not clear if the studio will earn back the $44 million it spent to make the comedy, which stars Seth Rogen and James Franco as TV personalities assigned to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The enormous publicity “The Interview” has received could augur well for the movie, but the absence of major U.S. movie chains as exhibitors could also severely cut into box office receipts. The chains refused to show the film owing to security concerns.

“We chose the path of digital distribution first so as to reach as many people as possible on opening day, and we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release,” Sony Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton said in a statement.

He added that Sony had first reached out to Google, Microsoft “and other partners” on Dec. 17, the day the studio said it had no future plans to release the film.

The movie prompted the most destructive-ever cyber attack on a company on U.S. soil one month ago and resulted in the release of embarrassing emails and confidential data.

U.S. President Barack Obama last week blamed the cyber attacks on North Korea and joined a chorus of politicians and top Hollywood figures accusing Sony of self-censorship and caving into the hackers’ demands.

Consumers can access the film on YouTube Movies, Google Play, Microsoft’s Xbox Video, and a dedicated website, seetheinterview.com, for $5.99 as a rental or $14.99 as a purchase. No cable or satellite TV operator has yet agreed to make “The Interview” available through video on demand (VOD).

It was unclear the degree to which the online release would reduce moviegoers’ appetite to see the comedy in the independent theaters that announced on Tuesday they planned to show it.

Many Christmas Day screenings were sold out, including one that begins right after midnight at the 184-seat Silent Movie Theatre in Los Angeles.

 

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