Sony Pictures says it grossed more than $1 million at the box office in Thursday’s limited release of its comedy “The Interview.”
Some 320 theaters in the United States — about 10 percent of the amount originally planned — showed the film, about a week after Sony had suspended its release because of threats of violence.
A senior official at Sony, Rory Bruer, said that considering the “incredibly challenging circumstances,” Sony was very grateful to the people who came out to watch “The Interview” on the first day it was in the theaters.
On Wednesday, Sony distributed “The Interview” through digital platforms, including YouTube, Google Play and Microsoft Xbox.
“The Interview” is a fictional story about two journalists who are recruited by U.S. intelligence to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea condemned the movie, and Sony canceled last week’s planned release following a massive cyberattack on its corporate network and threats by a hacker group of violence against theaters.
President Barack Obama and free-speech advocates said Sony’s cancellation was a mistake.
The attackers who hacked Sony’s computers stole valuable and highly confidential information. The United States blames North Korea for the cyberattack, a charge that Pyongyang denies.
A separate cyberattack against Sony caused problems across the country Thursday. A group calling itself Lizard Squad said it hacked into computers controlling Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox Live video game systems.
People who received the systems for Christmas were unable to connect to the networks to play the games with other users.
‘The Interview’ Pulls in $1 Million at Theaters, Sony Says added by VOA on
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