Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Mesquite theater signs on to show controversial ‘The Interview’

Sony Hack

Dan Steinberg/Invision/AP

In this Dec. 11, 2014, photo, actors Seth Rogen, right, and James Franco attend the premiere of the Sony Pictures’ film “The Interview” in Los Angeles.

A Mesquite movie theater says it will show controversial film "The Interview" when the film is released Thursday.

Megaplex Theatres, located at 749 W. Mesquite Blvd., will have its first showing at 2:30 p.m. Christmas Day, the theater said. The film is also scheduled for showings at 5 p.m., 7:25 p.m. and 9:40 p.m., theater representatives said.

As of late Tuesday, no Las Vegas-area cinemas were scheduled to show the film.

The R-rated movie, which is about two hours long, has been the subject of controversy over its plot and is believed to be the impetus for hacker attacks on Sony Entertainment.

The cyberattacks included data leaks of company emails.

Actors James Franco and Seth Rogen star in the film as members of the celebrity news media who are enlisted by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Messages posted on Rogen's Twitter today celebrated the news that the film will be shown in select theaters.

Sony Entertainment last week canceled the film's Christmas Day release in the wake of the hack and after threats of terrorist attacks, a move that sparked criticism from President Barack Obama and widespread public outcry.

But Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said Tuesday that the North Korea farce "will be in a number of theaters" beginning Thursday. He says Sony also hopes to release it on more platforms and in more theaters.

"The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up! The Interview will be shown at theaters willing to play it on Xmas day!" one of Rogen's Twitter messages said.

Moviegoers celebrated the abrupt change in fortune for a film that appeared doomed as "The Interview" began popping up in the listings of independent theaters across the country Tuesday, from Atlanta to Los Angeles. The film is set to open in over 200 theaters on Thursday.

Obama hailed Sony's reversal.

"The president applauds Sony's decision to authorize screenings of the film," said Obama spokesman Eric Schultz. "As the president made clear, we are a country that believes in free speech, and the right of artistic expression. The decision made by Sony and participating theaters allows people to make their own choices about the film, and we welcome that outcome."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy