MORE THAN 2 million people have watched controversial film The Interview online in four days, Sony Pictures has confirmed.
The film has made more than $15 million (€12.3 million) in online sales and another $2.8 million (€2.2 million) in cinemas in the US and Canada since Wednesday
Sony initially shelved the release of the comedy, which revolves around the fictional assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, after some of the biggest cinema chains in the US refused to show it amid threats of violence from hackers.
However the film, which received a huge amount of publicity during the episode, opened in some 330 independent cinemas across the US following criticism of the initial decision.
It was also made available on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft’s XBox Video for $5.99 (€4.90) and on a website set up specifically so people could rent the film.
Sony Pictures said the total made it the studio’s number one online film of all time.
The film is not yet available in Ireland and Sony has not made it clear whether the film will be given an international release.
Reviews of the film have been largely negative, with one reviewer describing it as being made up of “substandard Apatovian bro-fare”, and “full of the offensive Asian accents and dick-joke-a-minute banter one would expect”.
Variety reviewer Scott Foundas described the film as a “terror attack… against comedy”.
The film angered North Korea and may have triggered a massive cyber attack on Sony, which saw internal documents and emails released by a group calling itself the Guardians of Peace.
The White House said North Korea was responsible for the hacking, but the country has denied involvement.
The film’s two stars, Seth Rogen and James Franco, livetweeted the film as they watched it last night, encouraging viewers to do the same.
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