Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced a limited theatrical release of "The Interview" beginning Thursday, putting the comedy back into theaters.
Sony Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said Tuesday that Seth Rogen's North Korea farce "will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day." He said Sony also is continuing its efforts to release the film on more platforms and in more theaters.
Locally, Dipson Theaters will show the "The Interview" beginning Friday at their Flix location in Lancaster. There will be five showings a day on one screen.
Dipson will also screen the film at Lakewood Cinema 8 in Lakewood, which is in Chautauqua County.
Dipson decided to show the comedy after Sony Pictures Entertainment authorized the release of the film in select theaters beginning on Christmas Day.
Moviegoers celebrated the abrupt change of fortune for a film that appeared doomed, as the film began popping up in the listings of a handful of independent theaters Tuesday.
After hackers last Wednesday threatened violence against theaters showing the film, the nation's largest theater chains dropped the film. Sony soon thereafter canceled the film's release altogether.
But that decision drew widespread criticism, including from President Barack Obama.
White House spokesman Eric Schultz says the decision by Sony and some theaters allows individuals to make their own decisions about the film. He says the White House welcomes that outcome.
Schultz is stressing that the U.S. believes in free speech and the right of artistic expression.
The White House says Sony kept it informed about their deliberations over the weekend.
