George Clooney has called on Hollywood colleagues to push for the immediate online release of “The Interview” despite the Sony hack and other threats, saying movie audiences should not be dictated to by North Korean tyrant Kim Jong Un. Sony Pictures on Wednesday canceled the release of the movie after a computer hack that investigators believe is linked to North Korea, and terrorist threats against theaters that planned to screen it. The decision was greeted with dismay Thursday by celebrities.

Clooney added his voice to the chorus of criticism on Thursday, telling the trade site Deadline: "We should be in the position right now of going on offense with this. Stick it online. Do whatever you can to get this movie out. Not because everybody has to see the movie, but because I'm not going to be told we can't see the movie.

He added: “That's the most important part. We cannot be told we can't see something by Kim Jong Un, of all f***ing people."

IN-DEPTH

- Alastair Jamieson