The Interview now available on iTunes as Apple joins Google and Microsoft to offer the controversial comedy

  • The movie debuted on December 24 on Sony's website, Google's YouTube and Google Play and the Xbox gaming console 
  • Sony originally wanted to pull the movie due to 9/11-style terrorist threats against theaters who showed the film 
  • But the company decided to release the movie anyway online and independent movie theaters
  • The film grossed $ 1million on Christmas Day 
The controversial film The Interview is now available for streaming on Apple, one of the last movie websites to license the movie from Sony 
The controversial film The Interview is now available for streaming on Apple,
 one of the last movie websites to license the movie from Sony 


Apple Inc said its iTunes store is now carrying Sony Corp's 'The Interview', the film that angered North Korea and triggered a cyberattack against the studio.
'We're pleased to offer The Interview for rental or purchase on the iTunes Store,' Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr said in a statement.
The movie, steeped in gross-out humor depicting the travails of two journalists who get enlisted to assassinate North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, costs $14.99 to buy and $5.99 to rent on iTunes, according to the website.
Apple was one of the later tech companies to sign on to carrying the film via video-on-demand, and waited four days after competitors first released it on their digital video platforms on December 24.
Sony Pictures released the movie online via Google Inc's YouTube and Google Play, Microsoft Corp's Xbox gaming console and a Sony dedicated website first made the movie available last week after large movie theater chains refused to screen the comedy following threats of violence from hackers who opposed the film.
The movie was also shown in 331 mostly independent theaters, which helped generate more than $1million in sales on Christmas day.
Until Sony discloses the online revenues, it will be hard to know if the studio will come anywhere near recouping the $ 44million it cost to make the film, plus the $ 30million - $ 40million that some estimate was spent on marketing the film and its stars, Seth Rogen and James Franco. 

 
The movie stars Seth Rogen (center) and James Franco (right) as a couple of TV journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after they land an interview with the dictator
The movie stars Seth Rogen (center) and James Franco (right) as a couple of TV journalists recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after they land an interview with the dictator

The movie grossed $1million in its release in independent theaters on Christmas Day. Sony originally wanted to pull the movie, for fears of terrorist attacks against theaters 
The movie grossed $ 1million in its release in independent theaters on Christmas Day. 
Sony originally wanted to pull the movie, for fears of terrorist attacks against theaters 




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