The Interview and Simultaneous VOD and Theatrical Release

By CASBAA in Media, OTT, TV 0 Comment

The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, has received more attention than anyone could have ever predicted. The relatively absurd political comedy was always meant to provoke, but few could have anticipated it would turn into a full-scale international scandal with real geo-political implications.   The entire affair may also be remembered as a tipping point that raised the awareness of corporate hacking and cyber-crime – two issues that every company, regardless of their industry, will have to deal with going forward.

From a commercial perspective, The Interview also became a high-profile test case in releasing films simultaneously on digital platforms and theatrically. Although it was not a true worldwide release, platforms originally limited the digital release to North America, the movie became a cause célèbre for freedom of speech and received an inordinate amount of press coverage. The box office and VOD figures are still being calculated, but will The Interview change how films are released?