With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
'The Interview' to get only limited release in Asia
In this Nov. 29, 2013 file photo, actor James Franco, left, yawns before filming a scene with an actor playing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for the movie "The Interview," at Robson Square in Vancouver, British Columbia. The film will reportedly get only limited release in Asia.
(
Darryl Dyck/AP
)
James Franco and Seth Rogen's dark comedy "The Interview," in which a pair of entertainment journalists are recruited to assassinate the leader of North Korea, will not get wide release in Asia.
According to Variety, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan spokesman confirmed the movie will not be released in Japan, and the film’s website indicates that within the Asia Pacific region it will only be released in Australia and New Zealand.
Much attention is being paid to the film in the wake of a massive cyberattack against Sony, which included leaks of sensitive and embarrassing internal emails, employees' personal information and entire films.
Some have speculated North Korea was behind those attacks in retaliation for the Sony film.
Support for LAist comes from
(Spoiler alert! Skip this paragraph if you don't want to know how the movie ends.) Bloomberg reports, and KPCC’s John Horn, who has seen the film, confirms that Kim indeed dies in the end. A toned-down death scene was approved by Sony Corp. CEO Kazuo Hirai, who requested that filmmakers don’t include North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un’s exploding face in versions released outside the United States, according to emails that were among the 33,000 documents leaked to the Internet in the cyberattack.
There were signs Wednesday that tensions around the film’s release are being felt locally, too.
According to AP, Sony Pictures said Wednesday that no broadcast media will be invited to cover the film's red carpet Thursday in Los Angeles and no interviews will be granted to print reporters at the screening. A spokeswoman would not comment on the reason.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Heavy rain from the early-season storm could trigger debris flows. Snow is also possible above 7,000 feet. -
Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership announces that 11% of the workforce is being cut. -
The rock legend joins LAist for a lookback on his career — and the next chapter of his music. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care.
Best of LAist