Independent movie theaters across the country will show “The Interview” on Christmas Day and through the new year, TheWrap has confirmed. Theaters include:
Alabama
Birmingham: The Edge 12
Arizona
Phoenix: Harkins Theatres
Tempe: The Valley Art
Tuscon: Loft Cinema
Arkansas
Little Rock: Riverdale 10
California
Agora Hills: Regency Theatres Agora Hills Stadium 8
Aneheim: UltraLuxe Anaheim Cinemas and Garden Walk
Azusa: Regency Theatres Foothill Cinemas Stadium 10
Bakersfield: Regency Theatres East Hills Mall
City of Commerce: Regency Theatres Commerce 14
Coachella Valley: Cinemas Palme d’Dor
Fontana: Regency Theatres Fontana 8
Grenada Hills: Regency Theatres Grenada Hills 9
Jurupa: Tristone Cinemas Jurupa 14
Los Angeles: Cinefamily
Los Angeles: Crest Westwood
Los Angeles: Egyptian
Los Angeles: Los Feliz 3
Los Angeles: Laemmle’s North Hollywood 7 (Starting 12/31)
Los Angeles: Regency Theatres Van Nuys Plant 16
Perris: Regency Theatres Perris 10
Riverside: Mission Grove Theaters
Riverside: Regency Theatres University Village 10
San Bernardino: Regency Theatres Sterling 6
Santa Paula: Regency Theatres Santa Paula 7
Thousand Oaks: Regency Theatres Janss Marketplace 9
Westminster: Regency Theatres Westminster 10
Colorado
Fort Collins: The Lyric Cinema Cafe
Littleton: Alamo Drafthouse
Delaware
Lewes: Rehoboth Beach’s Movies at Midway
Middletown: Westown Movies
Wilmington: Penn Cinemas Riverfront
Florida
Ft. Lauderdale: Swap-Shop Drive-In
Jacksonville: Sun-Ray Cinema
Georgia
Atlanta: Plaza Theater
Illinois
Champaign: Art Theater Co-Op (Starting 1/2)
Woodridge: Hollywood Blvd. Cinemas
Indiana
Jasper: Jasper 8 Theatres
Kentucky
Paduckah: Maiden Alley Cinema
Louisiana
Chalmette: Chalmette Movies
Shreveport: The Robinson Film Center
Maryland
Baltimore: Eastpoint Center 10
Massachusetts
Cambridge: AppleCinemas
Michigan
Ann Arbor: State Theatre
Kalamazoo: Alamo Drafthouse
Traverse City: The Bijou
Minnesota
Minneapolis: The Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul
Minneapolis: St. Anthony Main Theatre
Missouri
Kansas City: Alamo Drafhouse
St. Louis: Chase Park Plaza
St. Louis: MX Movies
New Mexico
Santa Fe: Jean Cocteau Cinema
New York
Huntington: Cinema Arts Centre
Ithaca: Cinemapolis (Starting 1/1)
Mastic: Island Cinemas
Yonkers: Alamo Drafthouse
North Carolina
Roxborough: Palace Pointe
North Dakota
Fargo: Fargo Theatre
Ohio
Cleveland: Tower City Cinemas
Columbus: Gateway Film Center
Oklahoma
Tulsa: Circle Cinema
Oregon
Dallas: Fox Theatre (Starting 1/2)
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: Southside Works
Rhode Island
Providence: Cable Car Cinema and Cafe
South Carolina
Charleston: Terrace Theatre
Columbia: The Nickelodeon (Starting 12/26)
Tennessee
Franklin: Franklin Theatre
Nashville: BelCourt Theatre
Texas
Austin: Alamo Lakeline
Austin: Alamo Slaughter
Austin: Alamo South Lamar
Austin: Alamo Ritz
Dallas: Look Cinemas
Dallas-Forth Worth: Alamo Drafthouse
Houston: Alamo Vintage Park
Katy: Alamo Mason Park
Lubbock: Alamo Drafthouse
New Braunfels: Alamo Marketplace
San Antonio: Alamo Park North
San Antonio: Alamo Westlakes
San Antonio: City Base Cinema
Utah
Salt Lake City: Brewvies Cinemas Pub
South Jordan: Megaplex Theatres
Vermont
Burlington: Merrill’s Roxy Cinema
Virginia
Abingdon: Cinemall
Ashburn: Alamo Drafthouse
Wisconsin
Fon du Lac: Fon du Lac Theatre
New London: Grand Cinema Theatres
Washington, D.C.
West End Cinema
The Seth Rogen–James Franco buddy comedy that depicts the assassination of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and has been at the center of the crippling hack of Sony Pictures and its massive fallout, will see release after all, despite having been canceled by Sony following threats by hackers that caused major chains to pull the film.
“Sony has authorized screenings of ‘The Interview’ on Christmas Day. We are making shows available within the hour,” tweeted Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League, adding the hashtag “#Victory.”
A full statement from League obtained by TheWrap:
“We cannot imagine the pressures that have been affecting Sony, at all levels of the organization they have been under attack. Amidst this unwarranted chaos, they have regrouped and listened to the public, the government and the exhibition community and responded with resolve and determination. At 10:45 a.m. Sony bookers approved screenings at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and other arthouse and independent theaters across the country. This is the best Christmas gift anyone could give us. We, both distributors and exhibitors, have collectively stood firm to our principles and for the right to freedom of expression. Two days til Christmas, and I am proud to be an American.”
Alamo security teams will be briefed in the next two hours, according to an individual with knowledge of the situation. The meetings will likely discuss measures in the face of attack threats made by Sony hackers to theater chains showing the film.
Atlanta’s Plaza Theater will also show the film through Jan. 1, it confirmed through its own Twitter account.
“The Interview will open exclusive on 12/25. The Plaza will be one of the few theaters in the nation to open the film,” the theater said.
MX Movies in Missouri, offering three digital screens, will run the film starting 2 p.m. today. Likewise, California’s Mission Grove in Riverside and the Los Feliz 3 in East Los Angeles will exhibit the comedy.
Landmark Theaters, a major North American movie house, will not be showing the film citing prior commitments. “Our theatres have been fully booked for months,” a spokesperson told TheWrap.
New Mexico has an ally in “Game of Thrones” author George R. R. Martin, who early in the day said on his blog that he was trying to secure the film for his Santa Fe, New Mexico, theater Jean Cocteau Cinema. Later, the author and the theater celebrated their success:
We Got It! http://t.co/GbXy3L2d9d
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) December 23, 2014
We win! Starting Christmas Day we’ll be showing THE INTERVIEW showtimes to follow. #ThanksSony @Sethrogen @GRRMspeaking — Jean Cocteau Cinema (@CocteauCinema) December 23, 2014
While showing the film will please the public, indie theater owners, the creative community and politicians who have slammed Sony’s decision to cancel, the simultaneous VOD release will likely cause further friction with the larger movie chains (for whom VOD is a constant hot button issue).
That means the release will likely be in the 200-theater range; exhibitors typically cap the rollout of films that offer day-and-date VOD at around 300 sites. The largest chains — Regal, AMC, Cinemark, Carmike and Cineplex — were the first to opt out on the film on the day after the hacker threats, and Sony canceled the release hours later.
Though they didn’t say so publicly, the major chains were already chafing over Sony CEO Michael Lynton placing blame over Christmas Day release cancellation on theater owners, and the VOD release is seen as another shot.
Spotlight Theatres, who owns screens in Georgia, said it didn’t initially seek out the film because of market preferences, but would now reconsider.
“We didn’t initially try to book it because it’s R-rated, raunchy and subject matter that’s not really appealing to our audience,” said Joe Paletta, CEO and founder of Spotlight. “We cater mainly to family oriented, middle of the road crowds.”
He said Sony contacted him Monday about the possibility of showing it on Christmas Day, but he declined.
“I have two towns where I would play it on Jan. 2 if they decide to make it available then,” he continued. “Because of the publicity and curiosity, I think it could do some business.”