“The Interview” will be screened in U.S. theaters on Christmas Day, the original release date of the controversial movie, which triggered a major hack against Sony, threats of harm against moviegoers and the suspension of its distribution as a result.
The Alamo Drafthouse, a cinema chain based in Austin, Texas, will show the movie on Thursday, according to a tweet from Tim League , the company’s founder.
“Sony has authorized screenings of The Interview on Christmas Day. We are making shows available within the hour,” League wrote on Tuesday. The company hasn’t said at what times and in which Alamo Drafthouse locations the comedy will be screened. The chain predominantly operates cinemas in Texas with a few locations in other parts of the U.S. Alamo Drafthouse and Sony Pictures, which produced the film, didn’t immediately reply to interview requests.
Like other U.S. cinemas, the Alamo Drafthouse had planned on showing the movie Thursday, when it was scheduled to open. Customers who purchased tickets to those previously planned screenings will have their money refunded since the shows being announced Tuesday are new screenings, according to League.
Moviegoers in Atlanta will also able to take in the comedy, which depicts how two U.S. journalists handle an assignment to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during an interview. On Thursday the Plaza Theatre will hold five screenings on two screens, according to a post on the cinema’s Facebook page. The movie will also be shown on Friday, the post said.
“The Interview” drew the ire of the communist country and led to hackers attacking Sony and stealing a trove of confidential data, including actor salaries and executive emails. The hackers also threatened violence against any theaters that showed the movie, prompting the studio and some cinemas to cancel screening plans. This decision lead U.S. President Barack Obama to weigh in on the situation and call cancelling the movie’s release “a mistake.”
In recent days Sony said that The Interview would be shown and that it was evaluating its release options.