After waiting for almost four days post its initial release on YouTube and gaming consoles, Apple has today made “The Interview” available on iTunes. The movie can be rented for $5.99 and can be bought in its entirety for $14.99.
The film, which obviously needs no introduction, was earlier released by Sony Pictures via YouTube, Xbox Live and its own Playstation Network. Apart from releasing on streaming services, the film was released in some 331 select theatres, a day after.
‘The Interview’, which is about how two journalists get enlisted for the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, garnered in the vicinity of $1 Million on its Christmas day release at theatres. Revenue numbers from film’s online release haven’t been disclosed by Sony.
Though the film garnered some huge undesired publicity through the recent cyber attacks on Sony Pictures, it has generally received negative reviews. On IMDB, the film which had a 9.9 rating prior to its release, has now seen the ratings slump to 7.8 and are expected to go down even further.
In fact most of the viewers who went to see the movie said that the reason they are going is to show their support to freedom of speech and not an interest in the film.
Sony spent some $40 Million in film’s making, apart from $30-$40 Million spent on its marketing and actors fees. And if we count the huge financial loss (to the tune of over $100 Million) which Sony suffered due to cyber attacks, the film’s cost goes to somewhere around a whopping $180 Million.
It is hard to see Sony recovering that cost.
