# Theater chains cancelling "The Interview" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 17, 2014, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522 "2014-12-17T21:04:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/141 "2014-12-19T19:34:43Z")
Hey, if it makes you feel good to cast a limitation on government as one of government’s greatest hits, knock yourself out. Maybe we’ll have more hits like that and we’ll both be happy. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/142 "2014-12-19T19:37:35Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > I can only imagine what would happen if _The Message_ (aka _Mohammad, Messenger of God_) were to be released today. IIRC, other than some protests at the Oscars trying to tell the Academy not to give it any awards (made by people unclear on the concepts that (a) it wasn’t even nominated for any Oscars, and (b) some protestors did the same thing at the following year’s Oscars, unaware that it wasn’t even eligible that year). Actually, it was nominated for an Oscar, for Maurice Jarre’s score. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2014, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/143 "2014-12-19T23:19:56Z")
> [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](#): > > Hey, if it makes you feel good to cast a limitation on government as one of government’s greatest hits, knock yourself out. Maybe we’ll have more hits like that and we’ll both be happy. Or just as many as it takes to knock out the Progressive fairy tale. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/144 "2014-12-20T00:18:44Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > Or just as many as it takes to knock out **the Progressive fairy tale**. Did anybody else have a sudden mental picture of Flo in glass slippers? (Yeah, I know: epic Right-v-Left battle, not TV commercials reference. But, still.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/145 "2014-12-20T01:05:52Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Look, Americans invented hacking. Can’t we just have folks hack them back? I mean, publish a list of Kim’s favorite porn titles? Hack into the doubtless myriad of security cams that they must have? Etc. Etc. [That’s being suggested.](http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/19/world/asia/north-korea-rights-hack/index.html?hpt=hp_t1) I hope it happens. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/146 "2014-12-20T01:07:52Z")
There are times when I’m proud to be an American. This ain’t one of them. Fuck Sony and Paramount and the theater chains. Cowards. I got no problem with a company saying’ shit, we ain’t gonna make any money’ and pulling the plug. That’s business. But buckling to a threat? They should do free showings everywhere. They should play it in Times Square, the should rent out Dodger Stadium for a showing and fireworks display! They should stream it on Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/147 "2014-12-20T01:43:32Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Nope, The studio takes about 50 to 55% of the total box office. (in North America) So if something does 100 million domestic, then the studio, eventually, collects about 55 million dollars. That may be a cumulative average, but it’s not a fixed figure. Different films may have somewhat different contracts, but revenue splits within a given contract typically adjust week to week. Distributors take much more than 55% in the early weeks, maybe 90% in week 1, and stepping down from there. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/148 "2014-12-20T01:54:23Z")
They continue to make demands against Sony so it’s not over. I think it’s time Sony turns the tables. Threaten to burn the movie on 100,000 thumb drives and float them over NK in balloons. Then threaten to torrent the movie in every known language including Klingon. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/149 "2014-12-20T02:03:37Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Threaten to burn the movie on 100,000 thumb drives and float them over NK in balloons. I’ve read there is a group threatening to airdrop DVDs of the film into North Korea. But it’s not clear how they would avoid being shot down in the process. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/150 "2014-12-20T02:12:13Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’ve read there is a group threatening to airdrop DVDs of the film into North Korea. But it’s not clear how they would avoid being shot down in the process. They were also planning on using balloons, which means that even if they _were_ shot down, unless a lucky shot hits the DVD case itself the movie would survive. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/151 "2014-12-20T02:14:43Z")
Ah, I see. When I read “airdrop,” I naturally thought of planes. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/152 "2014-12-20T04:37:22Z")
It would be fun to build paper airplanes using battery powered hobby motors and just launch millions of them over the border. include a news cast of the Sony hacking story as a movie trailer. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/153 "2014-12-20T14:14:40Z")
Anyone who wants to debate the history and/or larger significance of the First Amendment should go do so in Great Debates – it’s heading off-topic in this thread. Thanks, **twickster** , Cafe Society moderator ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/154 "2014-12-21T01:04:43Z")
Sony’s [backtracked](http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/576672/20141220/interview.htm#.VJYb5ptZc) on it’s decision not to release the film at all. This is encouraging. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/155 "2014-12-21T03:07:53Z")
Wait, this was a $90 million Seth Rogen picture? That’s as much as his last three pictures combined. Neighbors had an $18 million budget, and though that got a great $150 million U.S. gross, far more than any other Seth Rogen picture, that wouldn’t have looked so great if it had cost five times as much. $90 million? It’s like paying $90,000 for a Honda Fit. That’s craziness. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/156 "2014-12-21T04:02:11Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Wait, this was a $90 million Seth Rogen picture? I heard $44 million, and that was a number apparently backed up by the leaked documents from Sony. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/157 "2014-12-21T04:06:49Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > I heard $44 million, and that was a number apparently backed up by the leaked documents from Sony. From alphaboi’s link: > [@](#): > > On Dec. 18, the company announced that it is shelving its $90 million project and will not release the movie in theatres, video-on-demand, DVD or any other online streaming platform. Maybe that number includes all marketing and other costs, though a doubling of the production budget would be a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/158 "2014-12-21T07:34:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Regal Cinemas, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark Theatres — the three top theater chains in North America — announced that they were postponing any showings of "The Interview. I hate when articles state “Sony cancels release of _The Interview_.” Of course they cancelled it, their top three markets refuse to show it. The deceptive titles in most articles give the appearance that Sony cowed to threats, when that is not remotely true. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/159 "2014-12-21T08:01:05Z")
> [@Mince](#): > > I hate when articles state “Sony cancels release of _The Interview_.” Of course they cancelled it, their top three markets refuse to show it. The deceptive titles in most articles give the appearance that Sony cowed to threats, when that is not remotely true. And the statements about “never letting it be sold in any format”? ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2014, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522/160 "2014-12-21T08:12:58Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > And the statements about “never letting it be sold in any format”? I’m obviously talking about the theatrical release. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theater-chains-cancelling-the-interview/707522.md?page=9)