Written by O’Boyd
Carmine Cinemas has become the first movie theater chain to decide it won’t run the Seth Rogan/James Franco film “The Interview.”
Sony reports it is moving forward with the planned Christmas release. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it has told theater chains that booked the film it has the option not to show it in their theaters. Carmike Cinemas operates 278 theaters across the country and is based in Columbus, Ga.
The news come amid more threats from the hacker group Guardians of Peace, which has claimed responsibility for the massive leaks of thousands of Sony employees’ private emails and files. The group also made its first threat towards theaters earlier Tuesday, stating a 9/11-style attack would happen if the film is released.
Just before midnight, THR reported the New York premiere for the film had been cancelled. 9/11 happened in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Rogan and Franco have also cancelled planned appearances in the city for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Tuesday, the hackers made good on their promise of releasing a “Christmas gift” by releasing an eighth batch of documents to the Internet. The Hollywood Reporter reports it appears to be the entire email account of Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman and CEO Michael Lynton.
On Monday, Lynton told people at a town hall meeting: “This will not take us down.”
In Tuesday’s messages, THR said it warned: “We will clearly show [the remainder of the Christmas gift] 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.”
Also from THR:
Tuesday’s email message was sent to reporters with links to peer-to-peer sites that contained part one of GOP’s “Christmas gift,” which it promised over the weekend in a previous message.
“We have already promised a Christmas gift to you,” the message continued. “This is the beginning of the gift. … 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.”
The note then mentioned the September 11, 2001, attacks, and stated that the “world would be full of fear.”
“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.)”
Cinema Corner 