“Google Inc’s decision to screen Sony Pictures’ film The Interview may help legitimize its YouTube platform as a serious rival to paid video streaming services, Netflix and Amazon.com Inc.,” Malathi Nayak reports for Reuters.
“Sony Pictures made the controversial film available online on Wednesday, expanding distribution of a comedy that triggered a destructive cyberattack against the company that has been blamed on North Korea. The studio reversed its decision to halt the movie’s release after it was criticized for self-censorship,” Nayak reports. “‘This is a huge opportunity for YouTube to show the world that it can be used to release professional content and content that is paid for as most people think YouTube is for free content,’ said James McQuivey, an analyst who covers the disruption of digital platforms at Forrester Research.”
“In addition to YouTube Movies, Google Play, and Microsoft’s Xbox Video, the comedy will be available on a dedicated website, www.seetheinterview.com, to rent for $5.99 or buy for $14.99, Sony Pictures said on Wednesday, a day after agreeing to release it at some 200 independent theaters,” Nayak reports. “Apple’s iTunes store was noticeably not on Sony’s list. ‘If I were at Apple, I would think twice about re-inviting hacking troubles, which is so embarrassing especially when you’re about to get into personal health and Apple Pay. You really want to show people you can preserve their information,’ McQuivey said.”
Read more in the full article here.
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I read more BS about this issue in the last few days then almost any other issue ever. This article is total BS.
My bet is Sony didn’t want to pay Apple’s 30% cut.
Apple afraid of being hacked? Yeah, right.
Put Forrester Research in the category of not knowing their butt from a hole in the ground.
It’s been said that Sony reached out to Apple first. However it happened, this is a black eye on Apple. It also hurt Sony, because there is no way I’m giving Google my credit card info, so there is one rental that will not happen until the movie shows up on iTunes.
Still this is one of the most pathetic movies made this year. For it to cause this much trouble is sad. Rogan has recycled the same jokes over and over now so this is what happens when you run out of frat boy potty humor ideas. The whole cast and crew obviously smokes way to much to have any real creativity left.
I just wonder what would happen if someone made a movie naming Obama as a target for assassination and succeeded what the consequences would be. So I get why any country or leader would be pissed. Every country has Internet warfare and spying going on. If any movie house was making such a pic about Obama. uSA intelligence would be hacking those studios also. Would Apple pick up a movie like that? I remember six years ago watching a movie about President bush and his assassination. It was evil and full of hate. And the film was only shown mostly outside the USA YouTube will start to allow everything on their platform from viewer uploaded stupidity to corporate videos to tv shows and movie including porn. I hope itunes never gets to that level of crap.
Forget “what-ifs”. In 2006 “Death of a President” depicted the assassination of George W. Bush.
It won an award at the Toronto Film Festival.
There was some public outrage, and cheering, one might expect. But no action was taken to harm the British studio that produced the film.
For a society to open and free there must be an acceptance that bad, tasteless and rude movies are going to made.
PS- before people criticize Apple for not rushing to get this movie on iTunes, they should question why it was not made available on Sony’s own PS3 and PS4 consoles.
Actually, the White House applauded Sony’s decision to air the movie, citing free speech as their motivation.
Of course they did it was they after all who pretty much forced Sony’s hand on the matter.
Watched it last night. It was maybe 20 percent funny. Should’ve been a straight to video movie.
If it was some Oscar caliber Meryl Streep film then Apple would’ve probably jumped at the chance to pay Sony for exclusive rights. Instead it’s just another piece of Seth Rogen/Jonah Hill garbage. I sure wouldn’t have paid for it. Tim must’ve already seen the movie and wasn’t impressed.
I don’t think one needs to watch the movie to decide the movie is of poor taste and not worth watching. Small part of me think Sony realized it too and they came up with a creative marketing scheme.
The most likely the reason the movie is not in iTunes is related to the email sent out by the iTunes Store stating:
“As a reminder, from Monday, December 22, through Monday, December 29, 2014, iTunes Connect, Application Loader, and iTunes Connect for iOS won’t be available.
During this time, you won’t be able to submit new apps, app updates, or In-App Purchases.”
I received that on December 16th. Sony changed their mind on the 23rd, *after* the ability to add things to iTunes Store was already shut down.
From a very reliable source the MS Network got hit hard. Some accounts was hacked into credit card and money in their accounts compromised. Heard that Sony site dropped. Watch out Google Play and YouTube could be next. Apple I am sorry about being hard on you. You played it right by not bending under Sony’s pressure to have it at Christmas. You wanted to make sure you had safe guards in place before showing the movie.
What?! They want us to pay for this blithering turd of a movie?!
A good movie about assassinating a president? Twilight of the Gods.
Damn sorry Twilights Last Gleaming.
Not a true president; a dictator.
Fill in the blanks “Sony Pictures made the controversial film available online on Wednesday, expanding distribution of a comedy that triggered a destructive cyberattack against the company that has been blamed on North Korea.” by whom???? Any evidence????
Gee I think I’ve seen this script before. Anyway I’ve heard it’s not a good movie but the next one is going to be great. It’s about these two two leaders of some fifth rate country that decide how far and how fast they can flush their country down the toilet. The first one makes up all sorts of pathetic excuses to invade another country and opens up torture theme parks all over the world while the second one protects him and his gang from any prosecution once it’s found out. Of course it’s total fantasy, no country could possibly be that stupid. I hear it’s going to be hilarious.
Amerika, once again you’ve been punk’d.
Must be in the water and food for folks in the USSA to be so gullible all the time.
This movie will make more money now than it ever would have before. People are trying to make this some sort of stand for freedom and expression.
Sorry, but “The Interview” isn’t it. You know what is? The Constitution. Honestly, I think Sony was in a no win situation about the movie. They decided not to release it initially and people griped. If they did release it and something happened and people got injured or killed, then all these folks would be hollering that Sony shouldn’t have released the film.
Found it eye-rollingly pathetic that some said Americans should ignore what the reviews said, it was their “patriotic duty” to go watch the movie after it was re-affirmed for online and limited theatre release.
No, your patriotic duty is to use your brains and your freedom to decide for yourself whether to see it or not.
North Korea, the mouse that roared.
I’ve seen Grand Fenwick, and North Korea is no Grand Fenwick!
I tried to watch it through the YouTube app in Apple TV. What a pain in the ass. Eventually I just gave up. Like I want Google to know what I’m watching, anyway, right. Whatever. Lost sale Sony. It was just to put a thumb in N Korea’s eye anyway. Guess I can wait until it’s actually convenient to do so.
Finally someone who at least partially gets it.
Apple are simply being adults about this situation. As the world’s largest depository of YOUR CREDIT CARD DATA, and an ecommerce juggernaut, they are not going to risk a sustained cyber assault from NK for the sake of this mediocre, juvenile and, frankly, irresponsible movie. Screw that, and screw Sony. They are like those a.m. radio stations that feign shock and dismay when their idiot shock jocks cross a line of racism/misogyny as they are paid to do until they’re not.
Apple has far bigger fish to fry than wasting their time defending the free-speech rights of simpletons.
Sometimes it is justified to call truly offensive things offensive. I have not seen this movie, and won’t. However, this movie apparently depicts the death of a living person who also happens to be the leader of a country — regardless of what you think about him. According to reports, it depicts him making crude and tasteless toilet-humor comments. Really?
Frankly, it IS offensive and should be to anyone with an ounce of maturity. It is time for Americans to grow up and gain some self-respect by not watching this kind of juvenile-humor trash.
Sony should be ashamed of itself for making and releasing this caliber of movie, and it is not the only studio which should be. Frankly, I have never really liked their products (found them unreliable) and have a hard time not feeling that they deserve everything that happened to them.
The movie is very funny and it depicts the death of a maniacal madman/dictator who enslaves and starves his people while pursuing nuclear weapons.
Yeah… a total piece of fiction.
don’t underestimate Sony’s realization that the movie SUCKS, and while the Hack wan’t part of The Plan, releasing it the way it has been was probably cheaper than a full theatrical release
There is an article from several news outlets entitled “No, North Korea Didn’t Hack Sony” based on the premise the attack on Sony “is far more likely to be the work of one disgruntled employee facing a pink slip.”
Wow another possibility. I wonder what the Foolish Bullies Institute thinks of that.
I found some parts of the movie in bad taste, while other parts were fantastic. Not a great movie, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I’ll throw another spanner in the works: a U.S.-only release for one of the most talked about movies this year? Dumb move, Sony. This movie’s going to be pirated intensely and many of those pirates would have wanted to actually rent the movie if they had the chance.