In what turned out to be what Cosmo Kramer (played by Micheal Richards, Seinfeld) might refer to as a “Festivus miracle”, Sony revealed that they would go ahead with its original intent to release the The Interview on Christmas Day.
ComicBook.com reported that Sony has decided that they will give audiences the chance to see Seth Rogen and James Franco’s new comedy film on Christmas Eve, by releasing it on several video streaming platforms.
“It has always been Sony’s intention to have a national platform on which to release this film,” stated Sony Entertainment’s chairman Michael Lynton. “With that in mind, we reached out to Google, Microsoft and other partners last Wednesday, December 17th, when it became clear our initial release plans were not possible. We are pleased we can now join with our partners to offer the film nationwide today.”
Below is a listing of different services that will be offering The Interview on streaming video.
Google Play – Rent for $5.99 or Own for $14.99
Microsoft’s Xbox Video – Rent for $5.99 or Own for $14.99
YouTube Movies – Rent for $5.99
www.seetheinterview.com – Rent for $5.99
In a statement released on the Google blog, Google’s Senior VP of Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer, David Drummond said, “Of course it was tempting to hope that something else would happen to ensure this movie saw the light of day. But after discussing all the issues, Sony and Google agreed that we could not sit on the sidelines and allow a handful of people to determine the limits of free speech in another country (however silly the content might be).”
So now those who wish to see The Interview need only decide how they wish to see the movie. Do they want to watch from the comfort of their homes or go to the theater on a busy holiday weekend?