Sony expands 'The Interview' to cable, more theaters

Sony Pictures expanded its release of the Seth Rogen comedy “The Interview” to the largest pay- television services and to additional theaters after initial showings occurred without incident.

“The Interview” is now available on pay- per-view from 10 companies including Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s video service. Prices start at $5.99, Sony Pictures said Wednesday.

The film, a farce about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, led to a cyber-attack that the FBI has linked to that country. Hackers released thousands of pages of confidential studio information on the Internet. Sony Pictures, part of Tokyo-based Sony Corp., sought alternative outlets after major theater chains balked at running the film following a threat of violence from the hackers.

Theatrical distribution expands to more than 580 on Friday . Sony Pictures last week released the picture in about 300 cinemas and online through Google Inc., Microsoft Corp., Apple Inc.’s iTunes platforms and a website the company created.

The picture, which cost an estimated $80 million to make and market, took in more than $15 million in online rentals and purchases in the four days after its Dec. 24 release, according to Sony. Rentrak Corp. reported theater ticket sales of $2.84 million through Dec. 28.

This story was originally published December 31, 2014 at 1:54 PM with the headline "Sony expands 'The Interview' to cable, more theaters."