Sony Pictures To Distribute THE INTERVIEW Online Beginning Christmas Eve; Opens Christmas Day at Wehrenberg Theatres

Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that THE INTERVIEW will be available online across the United States starting today, Christmas Eve.

As of 10:00 a.m. PST, the film will be available to rent in HD on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s Xbox Video and the dedicated website www.seetheinterview.com at a price of $5.99. The film can also be purchased in HD for $14.99.

“It has always been Sony’s intention to have a national platform on which to release this film,” said Michael Lynton, Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment. “With that in mind, we reached out to Google, Microsoft and other partners last Wednesday, December 17th, when it became clear our initial release plans were not possible. We are pleased we can now join with our partners to offer the film nation-wide today.

“We never stopped pursuing as wide a release as possible for THE INTERVIEW.  It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech. We chose the path of digital distribution first so as to reach as many people as possible on opening day, and we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release.”

“I want to thank Google and Microsoft for helping make this a reality. This release represents our commitment to our filmmakers and free speech. While we couldn’t have predicted the road this movie traveled to get to this moment, I’m proud our fight was not for nothing and that cyber criminals were not able to silence us.

“No doubt the issues we have confronted these last few weeks will not end with this release, but we are gratified to have stood together and confident in our future. I want to thank everyone at Sony Pictures for their dedication and perseverance through what has been an extraordinary and difficult time.”

Fans can watch THE INTERVIEW on several platforms including:

• Google Play: the movie is available to buy or rent at play.google.com, and can be watched in the Play Movies & TV app on Android and iOS phones or tablets, or streamed in the living room via Chromecast, Roku or the Nexus Player.
• YouTube: the movie is available at youtube.com/movies and can be watched on the web, in the YouTube app, or on select living room devices like Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStation and Xbox.
• Microsoft’s Xbox Video: the movie is available to buy or rent on the Xbox Video app on Xbox One, Xbox 360, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and XboxVideo.com.

Kernel, the digital media company that uses ground-breaking technology to dynamically engage audiences, has partnered with Sony Pictures to deliver THE INTERVIEW to U.S. audiences via Internet streaming for $5.99. Kernel’s trusted web streaming platform provides an outlet for premium viewing of the film by movie fans.

To view the film, customers can visit www.seetheinterview.com where they can instantly view the movie in a browser or on any mobile device or connected TV.

THE INTERVIEW is available for a two-day rental for $5.99, from 10:00 a.m. Pacific time on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2014, through Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Security is essential to Kernel. To provide as secure of an experience as possible, Kernel has partnered with Stripe, a leading payment processor that processes billions of dollars each year for companies such as Facebook and Twitter.

“When the opportunity arose for Kernel to release ‘The Interview,’ the challenge was how to get this done while keeping people’s information safe,” said Kernel’s Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder Andy Martinez. “The best way is just not to collect anything beyond the minimum payment details necessary to prevent fraud and ensure quality customer support.”

“We are happy to be one of Sony Picture’s premier partners bringing ‘The Interview’ to U.S. audiences,” said David Harvilicz, Kernel’s chief executive officer and co-founder. “Our work with Sony Pictures on ‘The Interview’ showcases one of the many innovative ways in which Kernel is redefining the movie audience experience.”

In addition to Google Play, YouTube, Microsoft and www.seetheinterview.com, THE INTERVIEW is also being released in more than 300 United States theaters on December 25th.

Nine Wehrenberg Theatres will premiere the film beginning Christmas Day and MX Movie Theaters in St. Louis will screen the movie beginning Friday Jan. 2nd.

Tickets are standard box office price and available at www.wehrenberg.com

In this action-comedy from Sony Pictures, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen) run a popular celebrity tabloid TV show. When they discover North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

Participating theatres are:

Arnold 14 Cine – 1912 Richardson Rd. in Arnold, MO

Campbell 16 Cine – 4005 South Ave. in Springfield, MO

Cape West 14 Cine – 247 Siemers Dr. in Cape Girardeau, MO

Des Peres 14 Cine- 12701 Manchester Rd. in Des Peres, MO

Galaxy 14 Cine – 1111 Wylie Dr. in Bloomington, IL

Galaxy 14 Cine – 450 THF Blvd. in Chesterfield, MO

Galaxy 14 Cine – 4340 Maine Ave. SE in Rochester, MN

Galaxy 16 Cine – 5340 Council St. NE in Cedar Rapids, IA

O’Fallon 15 Cine – 1320 Central Park Dr. in O’Fallon, IL