The Jewel Theatre has decided to screen the movie The Interview, which was pulled from major theatres in the United States and Canada after a hacking attack against Sony, the company which distributed the movie.
Major theatre companies across Canada elected not to show the movie and Sony released it online rather than in theatres after the hacking. Accusations have been levelled against North Korea, whose leader, Kim Jong-Un, is the target of two reporters-turned-assassins in the movie.
“We want to show that we support free speech,” Cody Borek, manager for the theatre, said. “You can’t just expect us to back down because you don’t like the movie.”
The showing is tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 21, and is a single showing. The movie plays at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Borek said he expects the showings to be “packed.”
In Alberta, only six other theatres have chosen to screen the movie, including Leduc Cinema, Wetaskiwin Cinema, River City Cinema, Carnival Cinemas in Red Deer, Plaza Theatre in Calgary and Movie Mill in Lethbridge.
The movie, directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, stars Rogen and James Franco.
The movie has been rated 14A.