“The Interview” was at the center of quite a bit of controversy even before its release as North Korea expressed their disapproval towards the movie.
However, despite all the negative press surrounding the film, “The Interview” has actually done fairly well.
The film has reportedly generated over $40 million in rentals and sales, Sony Pictures reports, according to Variety. From the periods between December 24 through January 18, “The Interview” has reportedly been rented or purchased online and through cable, satellite, and telecom providers more than 5.8 million times.
Terrorist threats reportedly led to Sony announcing that the film would be released on digital platforms, as major theater chains refused to screen the movie on its original release date.
“The Interview” will be streaming on Netflix on Saturday for users in North America and Canada, according to the Washington Post.
Although the movie, which is about a TV host that has been given the task of assassinating North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, has brought in surprising figures, it’s reportedly unclear if the film is actually profitable. The film reportedly cost roughly $75 million to produce and market and the movie has made only around $6 million domestically as only a few hundred arthouse and independent theaters were willing to screen the movie.
As for the movie streaming on Netflix, there are reportedly no details of how the deal with boost Sony’s numbers.
Although the movie may have created a small, but solid fan base, NATO spokesperson Patrick Corcoran reportedly argues that the movie will lose $30 million in a Box Office magazine column.
“In this simultaneous-release game, Sony is $30 million in the hole and almost out of cards. The only game changed here was just how much Sony left on the table,” wrote Corcoran.
