The Interview box office earnings reached $1 million on Christmas Day. Many have now predicted that the highly controversial comedy could manage to make a couple million more over the long holiday weekend.
Rory Bruer, the President of Sony Pictures worldwide distribution, said in a statement, "The audience reaction was fantastic - the limited release, in under 10% of the amount of theaters originally planned, featured numerous sell-outs and a first day gross over $1 million."
Despite the "incredibly challenging circumstances" that surround the cinema release of The Interview box office, he said, "We are extremely grateful to the people all over the country who came out to experience 'The Interview' on the first day."
Plus, apart from The Interview box office earnings, the scandalous Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy has a huge potential to make a lot more money on the Internet through $5.99 movie rentals, as well as future sales to major streaming services, such as Netflix.
As of today, the results of the online release on Wednesday remain unknown. However, if a million people rented the movie through YouTube, then that would be an instant $6 million. Apart from YouTube, The Interview box office was also made available on Microsoft's Xbox video store, Google Play, and a special Sony website called SeeTheInterview.com.
The unconventional release of The Interview box office was actually a plan that was pretty much cobbled together due to necessity. It revealed an underlying tension that usually happens in Hollywood between at-the-theater viewing and at-home viewing. Plus, it also hinted on how the money-making calculus of the industry could change in the near future.
For a star-studded highly talked about flick, such as The Interview box office, a big tent release in 2,000 to 3,000 cinemas could be the top choice for a major studio such as Sony Pictures. It would make the difference between a $1 million and a $10 million box office total.
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