Netflix will make Sony Pictures' The Interview available to stream in the U.S. and Canada, the company announced Tuesday in its letter to shareholders. The movie will premiere on the subscription video on-demand service Jan. 24.
"We are thrilled to offer exclusively the controversial comedy, The Interview, to our US and Canadian members beginning this Saturday, Jan. 24—just thirty days after it debuted in theaters and pay-per-view," CEO Reed hastings and COO and CFO David Wells said in the letter. Netflix also announced that its first original film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon II: The Green Destiny, will premiere on the service Aug. 26 with a possible same-day release on IMAX screens.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, was asked during his executive session kicking off the TCA winter press tour Jan. 7 whether and when the service would pick up the film. Sarandos responded at the time that he had “nothing to talk about on The Interview right now.”
The Interview was released via video on-demand pay-per-view Dec. 24, one day before its limited theatrical release. The move followed Sony's initial cancelation of the movie's planned Christmas Day nationwide theatrical premiere in the wake of a cyber-attack on the studio and threats of terrorist attacks against theaters showing the film.
Eric Berger, general manager of Crackle, told B&C Jan. 13 that he expected the Sony-owned ad-supported streaming service to get the movie "in the appropriate window at the appropriate time," following its SVOD window.
