UPDATE: After five major theater chains (AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Carmike and Southern Theatres) pulled their screenings of "The Interview," Sony has decided to pull the film's Christmas Day release.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Sony Pictures refuses to pull its controversial film "The Interview," but the studio has made some concessions in light of recent threats made by the group behind the Sony hack.
Landmark Theaters announced the New York premiere of "The Interview," starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, has been cancelled. The premiere was set to take place at Sunshine Cinemas in Manhattan on Thursday evening.
The "Guardians of Peace" released its eighth round of leaks, part of its promised "Christmas gift" of files. These items, titled "Michael Lynton," the name of Sony Pictures Entertainment's CEO, included a threatening message that invoked a 9/11-like attack.
The message reads (via Variety):
"Warning
We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places "The Interview" be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to.
Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.
The world will be full of fear.
Remember the 11th of September 2001.
We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.
(If your house is nearby, you'd better leave.)
Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
All the world will denounce the SONY."
Rogen and Franco have cancelled all of their New York press events. They were scheduled to make joint appearances on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live," NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night With Seth Meyers," as well as do interviews with Yahoo! and Buzzfeed.
Sony Pictures also will allow exhibitors across the country to pull "The Interview" from their theaters, even though Sony plans to still release the film. So far, only Carmike Cinemas, which operates 278 theaters and 2,917 screens in 41 states, has pulled the movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In "The Interview," Rogen stars as the TV producer for the talk show Franco hosts. When they land an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jung-un, the CIA tasks them with assassinating the tyrannical dictator.
The movie opens on Christmas Day.
