Sony Mulling Free Streaming for “The Interview”
In the wake of the cyber-attack on Sony Pictures Entertainment – which, it should be noted, has increased tensions between the United States and North Korea – the movie studio is exploring options to get the movie thought to be the source of the trouble, The Interview, in front of people’s eyes via online streaming.
Shortly after threats against movie theaters showing The Interview hit the web, Sony yanked its plans for theatrical distribution, a move that has since garnered criticism from celebrities, pundits, and even the president. However, a New York Post report from a couple days ago says that Sony may throw The Interview onto Crackle, its streaming service, for free.
A follow-up on Re/code, however, says that Sony has yet to decide on Crackle at all, having gotten a statement from a Sony spokesperson who says that the studio “is still exploring options for distribution,” and that the Post article isn’t right.
It remains to be seen what Sony will do about The Interview, but don’t be surprised to see it pop up on media streaming services before too long. Decentralizing the distribution of the movie is a great way to cut these threats off at the knees – and help Sony recoup the money lost in not sending it to physical theaters.
[Sources: New York Post, Re/code]