Ryan Cormier

The News Journal

A trio of independently run Delaware movie theaters has agreed to show "The Interview" after Sony Pictures Entertainment announced the controversial comedy would be released in some theaters beginning Christmas Day.

Wilmington's Penn Cinemas Riverfront, Middletown's Westown Movies and Rehoboth Beach's Movies at Midway will all screen the film beginning Thursday.

The movie provoked an international incident with North Korea and outrage over its canceled release before Sony announced it would let theaters that requested it show the movie Thursday.

Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said the company is continuing its efforts to release the film on more platforms and in more theaters.

"We have never given up on releasing 'The Interview,'" Lynton said in a statement. "While we hope this is only the first step of the film's release, we are proud to make it available to the public and to have stood up to those who attempted to suppress free speech."

Penn Cinema managing partner Penn Ketchum said he added the film after discussing it with representatives from Sony.

"We're really excited to bring this film to Delaware. We got a lot of support from our customers who really wanted to see it and were disappointed when we canceled plans," he said. "The concerns we previously had about security have all been addressed. There's no reason for anyone to be concerned, whatsoever."

While some fans will decide to watch the film at home on demand, Ketchum predicts a "positive, party vibe" at the public screenings of the talked-about film.

"Comedies are a lot more fun with tons of people," he said. "This film has really taken on a life of its own and taken on a patriotic feel. We saw a real backlash from customers who did not appreciate having their choices limited."

Penn's Christmas "Interview" showtimes are 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.

Following Penn Cinema's lead, management at Westown Movies and Atlantic Theaters' Movies at the Midway announced Tuesday they would also show the film.

Westown will screen the film at 2:10 p.m., 4:40 p.m., 7:10 p.m. and 9:40 p.m. on Christmas Day. Movies at the Midway will show the film at 9:25 p.m. on Christmas and expand to two showings a day starting on Friday.

It is unclear if movie chains like Regal Cinemas, Cinemark and AMC Theaters will screen "The Interview." The Wrap, an entertainment news website, reported the film also will be released on demand.

Rick Roman of Roman Theatre Management, which runs Westown, says the theater will waive its rule of not showing films that are also available on demand.

"We are making an exception to the policy for 'The Interview,'" Roman said. "Freedom of speech and expression needs to be protected, and to do our part, we are playing 'The Interview.'"

Ever since the film was pulled from theaters, a majority of customers has been in support of the film being shown, Roman said.

"The amount of feedback we have received on social media has been like what we would get for a blockbuster movie," he said.

For Sony, the decision was the culmination of a gradual about-face: After initially saying it had no plans to release the movie, the company began softening its position after it was broadly criticized.

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. The film stands to open in as many as a few hundred theaters on Thursday, the day it was originally set for wide release.

One of the loudest critics of the film's shelving – President Barack 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."

Seth Rogen, who stars in the film he co-directed with Evan Goldberg, made his first public comments in a surreal ordeal that began with hackers leaking Sony executives' emails and culminated in an ongoing confrontation between the U.S. and North Korea. The FBI has said North Korea was behind the hacking attacks.

"The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed! Sony didn't give up!" said Rogen on Twitter.

"VICTORY!!!!!!!" said James Franco, who co-stars in the film. "The PEOPLE and THE PRESIDENT have spoken."

North Korea's Internet was shut down in an apparent attack Monday, and continued to be roiled by intermittent outages Tuesday. That followed President Barack Obama's vow of a response to what he called North Korea's "cyber vandalism" of Sony. The White House and State Department have declined to say whether the U.S. government was responsible for North Korea's outages.

After hackers last Wednesday threatened terrorist attacks against theaters showing the film, the nation's major multiplex chains dropped "The Interview." Sony soon canceled the film's release and removed mention of it from its websites.

But that decision drew widespread criticism, including from Obama, who chastised Sony for what he deemed "a mistake" that went against American principles of free speech. George Clooney also led a chorus pressuring for the movie's release and rallying against alleged corporate self-censorship.

The unusual release will give independent theaters a chance to debut the most talked-about movie in the country. James Wallace, creative manager for Texas' Alamo Drafthouse, said the theater received word from Sony on Tuesday morning that Thursday's showings were a go. Among other touches, the theater will offer a patriotic menu featuring burgers, "freedom fries" and apple pie.

"You better believe it's going to be all-American," Wallace said.

Releasing "The Interview" could potentially cause a response from the hackers, who called themselves the Guardians of Peace. In a message last week to the studio, the hackers said Sony's data would be safe so long as the film was never distributed. There have been no more data leaks of Sony emails since the movie's release was delayed.

Independent theaters had shown a stronger appetite to screen "The Interview." Art House Convergence, which represents independent exhibitors, sent a letter Monday to Sony saying its theaters (comprising about 250 screens) wished to show the film.

In recent days, Sony has been trying to secure digital partners to help distribute "The Interview" either through streaming or video-on-demand. Such a multiformat release would be historic for Hollywood, whose studios have long protected the theatrical-release window.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Ryan Cormier on Facebook @ryancormier, on Twitter @ryancormier or on Instagram @ryancormier.