Sony announces limited release for ‘The Interview’

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.

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.

The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, and the Plaza Atlanta in Georgia were the first to say Tuesday they would show the movie, which lampoons North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.

“We are making shows available within the hour. Victory,” said Alamo founder Tim League, in a tweet announcing that Sony had reversed a decision to cancel the film’s release.

Last week, Sony canceled the December 25 release of “The Interview,” a madcap caper in which Seth Rogen and James Franco play television journalists recruited to assassinate Kim.

The Hollywood giant had suffered a massive cyber attack on its internal computer network that US authorities now blame on Pyongyang, which has denounced the movie as a terrorist threat.

Following the hack, which exposed humiliating company secrets and the personal data of employees, Sony received anonymous threats that cinemas showing the film would face violent attack.

While denouncing the movie, North Korea has denied any role in the hacking. US President Barak Obama said it faces a “proportionate response” to what he called its “cyber vandalism.”

North Korea’s already limited Internet links have been cutting in and out for two days, because of what experts said appeared to be a “denial of service” attack, but no one has claimed responsibility.

Sony, meanwhile, was widely criticized — including by Obama himself — for backing down to the threats and canceling the film.