When two TV stars land an interview with the dictator of North Korea, their mission goes from an exposé to a CIA-recruited assassination attempt in a matter of minutes. Seth Rogan and James Franco were set to headline the film, produced by Sony. But what was expected to be a big hit, featuring A-list celebs and a funny plot, has faced a number of threatening obstacles that may prevent it from ever hitting US theaters.     

The Interview controversy is the result of a hack, in which Sony received messages threatening the safety of movie-goers and company employees alike if the film is released. North Korea is thought to be the culprits behind the hack.   

After news of the threats were released, a number of the larger movie theater enterprises made the executive decision to not screen the film, which was set to premiere on Christmas Day. Facing pressure from the refusing cinemas, Sony has since made the decision to cancel the release for the time being. Sony is set to face about $80 million in losses. After pulling the film, the hackers sent a message congratulating Sony on making the right decision.     

The film has received attention worldwide, with China and other countries declaring it distasteful and dangerous. Meanwhile Sony has begun looking for alternate outlets for The Interview’s release. Netflix, Youtube, and Crackle (Sony’s own version of Netflix) are among the rumored outlets.

But have no fear! Sony remains strong in its promise to distribute the film to the public, despite the unforeseen obstacles.