"The Interview” Had A Surprise Christmas Eve Release Online, Streaming On YouTube And Google Play

UPDATE: In addition to upwards of 300 theaters, the most controversial movie ever is available on YouTube, Sony, Microsoft Xbox, and Google Play in the U.S., starting at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Dec. 24.

On Wednesday morning, Sony issued a statement saying The Interview will be available for rental on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s Xbox Video, and Sony's dedicated website www.seetheinterview.com, starting at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Dec. 24 in the U.S. On Sony's site, The Interview will be $5.99 for rent and $14.99 for HD purchase.

“It has always been Sony’s intention to have a national platform on which to release this film,” Michael Lynton, chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment ,said in a statement obtained by BuzzFeed News. “With that in mind, we reached out to Google, Microsoft, and other partners last Wednesday, December 17, 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 nation-wide today."

“We never stopped pursuing as wide a release as possible for The Interview. It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech. We chose the path of digital distribution first so as to reach as many people as possible on opening day, and we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release,” Lynton said. “I want to thank Google and Microsoft for helping make this a reality. This release represents our commitment to our filmmakers and free speech. While we couldn’t have predicted the road this movie traveled to get to this moment, I’m proud our fight was not for nothing and that cyber criminals were not able to silence us. No doubt the issues we have confronted these last few weeks will not end with this release, but we are gratified to have stood together and confident in our future. I want to thank everyone at Sony Pictures for their dedication and perseverance through what has been an extraordinary and difficult time.”

Google released a statement expressing their desire to show the movie.

"Last Wednesday, Sony began contacting a number of companies, including Google, to ask if we’d be able to make their movie, The Interview, available online. We'd had a similar thought and were eager to help — though given everything that’s happened, the security implications were very much at the front of our minds," David Drummond, SVP of Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer said in a statement. "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)."

Variety reported Sony is also in talks with Netflix to stream the movie. When reached for comment, a rep for Netflix told BuzzFeed News they had no comment.

Watch it here now:

View this video on YouTube

youtube.com

Here is the original report form Tuesday, Dec. 23:

After canceling the theatrical release of The Interview in the wake of threats from hackers, Sony announced on Tuesday that there would in fact be a limited release of the film on its original Dec. 25 date.

Though the three biggest U.S. cinema chains — AMC, Regal, and Cinemark — have yet to state whether or not they'll be screening The Interview, many smaller theaters have decided to show the movie. Theaters are working to fit the Seth RogenJames Franco comedy back into their Christmas Day schedule; however, due to the last-minute change, some theaters won't be showing the film until closer to the new year.

Here's a list of where and when you can see The Interview across the United States, along with links for further information about showtimes.

1. Alamo Drafthouse locations

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

Alamo Lakeline - Austin, Texas

Alamo Slaughter - Austin, Texas

Alamo South Lamar - Austin, Texas

Alamo Ritz - Austin, Texas

Alamo - Littleton, Colorado

Alamo Loudoun - Ashburn, Virginia

Alamo - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Alamo - Yonkers, New York

Alamo Main Street - Kansas City, Missouri

Alamo - Richardson, Texas

Alamo Vintage Park - Houston, Texas

Alamo Mason Park - Katy, Texas

Alamo - Lubbock, Texas

Alamo Marketplace - New Braunfels, Texas

Alamo Park North - San Antonio, Texas

Alamo Westlakes - San Antonio, Texas

2. Hollywood Blvd (Woodridge, Illinois)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

3. Merrill's Roxy (Burlington, Vermont)

Projected opening date: Dec. 31, 2014.

4. State Theater (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

5. MX Movies (St. Louis, Missouri)

Projected opening date: Dec. 24, 2014.

6. Plaza Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

7. Riverdale 10 (Little Rock, Arkansas)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

8. Southside Works Cinema (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

9. Tower City Cinemas (Cleveland, Ohio)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

10. Art Theater Co-Op (Champaign, Illinois)

Projected opening date: Jan. 2, 2015.

11. Franklin Theatre (Franklin, Tennessee)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

12. Jasper 8 Theatres (Jasper, Indiana)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

13. Look Cinemas (Dallas, Texas)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

14. Brewvies Cinema Pub (Salt Lake City, Utah)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

15. Megaplex at The District (South Jordan, Utah)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

16. Valley Art (Tempe, Arizona)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

17. Chalmette Movies (Chalmette, Louisiana)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

18. City Base Cinema (San Antonio, Texas)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

19. Dipson Flix 10 Stadium (Lancaster, New York)

Projected opening date: Dec. 26, 2014.

20. Dipson Lakewood Cinema 8 (Lakewood, New York)

Projected opening date: Dec. 26, 2014.

21. Edge 12 (Birmingham, Alabama)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

22. Laemmle Theater (North Hollywood, California)

Projected opening date: Dec. 31, 2014.

23. The Loft Cinema (Tucson, Arizona)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

24. Nickelodeon Theatre (Columbia, South Carolina)

Projected opening date: Dec. 26, 2014.

25. Penn Cinema Riverfront (Wilmington, Delaware)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

26. Terrace Theater (Charleston, South Carolina)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

27. Robinson Film Center (Shreveport, Louisiana)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

28. Los Feliz 3 Cinema (Los Angeles, California)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

29. Crest Westwood (Los Angeles, California)

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

30. Wehrenberg Theatres locations

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

Arnold 14 Cine - Arnold, Missouri

Campbell 16 Cine - Springfield, Missouri

Cape West 14 Cine - Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Cedar Rapids Galaxy 16 Cine - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Chesterfield Galaxy 14 Cine - Chesterfield, Missouri

Des Peres 14 Cine - Des Peres, Missouri

O'Fallon 15 Cine - O'Fallon, Illinois

Rochester Galaxy 14 Cine - Rochester, Minnesota

31. Regency Theatres locations

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

Foothill Cinema Stadium 10 - Azusa, California

Santa Paula 7 - Santa Paula, California

Perris 10 - Perris, California

Agoura Hills Stadium 8 - Agoura Hills, California

Sterling 6 - San Bernardino, California

Granada Hills 9 - Granada Hills, California

East Hills Mall - Bakersfield, California

Commerce 14 - Commerce, California

Van Nuys Plant 16 - Van Nuys, California

Fontana 8 - Fontana, California

Janss Marketplace 9 - Thousand Oaks, California

University Village 10 - Riverside, California

Westminster 10 - Westminster, California

32. Sundance Cinemas locations

Projected opening date: Dec. 25, 2014.

Sundance Kabuki - San Francisco, California

Sundance Cinemas - Seattle, Washington

Sundance Cinemas - Madison, Wisconsin

Sundance Cinemas - Houston, Texas

Sundance Sunset - West Hollywood, California

On Tuesday evening, the official Facebook page for The Interview posted a list of more than 380 theaters that will show the movie, including dates. Deadline reported that theaters had to put their requests in by 6 p.m. PT/ 9 p.m. ET Tuesday in order to get the movie for Christmas Day.

Topics in this article

Skip to footer