Entertainment

Theater owners plead with Sony to consider a limited release other THE INTERVIEW

Several major and independent theaters pleaded with
Sony Pictures Entertainment to consider limited
distribution of the film but were rejected by the movie
studio, according to a source familiar with the talks.
In private calls with Sony Pictures Entertainment
executives last week, theater owners suggested the movie
studio release the film in smaller batches in order to
assess the credibility of threats made by hacker group
Guardians of Peace, said this source, who declined to
speak on the record because the discussions were
private.
“They rejected it,” said this person, who declined to
speak on the record because the discussions were
private. “Sony said it wanted a full release or nothing.”
Sony, which has blamed movie theaters for the cancelled
release of “The Interview,” declined to comment on talks
with theater owners. The studio has argued that when
the country’s biggest theater chains, including Regal and
AMC, canceled their screenings, the studio had no choice
but to pull the movie from its scheduled theatrical
release.
Sony’s decision has been widely criticized by President
Obama, directors such as Michael Moore, and lawmakers.
Critics say the studio caved in to pressure from hackers
and set a dangerous precedent for censorship.
Sony Pictures Entertainment co-chair Michael Lynton has
vowed to put the movie online but said no major online
distributor has been willing to partner on its release.
Sony owns an online video platform called Crackle but
denied a report that the firm was planning to use it to
release “The Interview.”
“The studio is still considering various distribution
options,” a Sony spokesperson said Monday.
Cory Jacobson, owner of Phoenix Theatres in Farmington,
Mich., wrote WAMU’s The Diane Rehm Show to say the
theater chains are being unfairly blamed for Sony’s
decisions.
“All studios do limited releases and to not offer that
option shows Sony was looking for cover,” said Jacobson.
There is precedent for Sony handling sensitive movies
that attract threats. In 2012, Sony Pictures initially rolled
out “Zero Dark Thirty” in a small number of theaters in
response to threats about the release of that film, which
depicts the killing of Osama Bin Laden.