'The Interview' New York Premiere Canceled After Threat

by Aaron Couch

The Interview's planned premiere in New York has been canceled, a Landmark spokesperson said Tuesday. The Sony film was scheduled to screen at Landmark's Sunshine Cinema.

On principle, Sony was not going to cancel the premiere, but ultimately Landmark made the call, according to a source.

The news comes after stars Seth Rogen and James Franco canceled promotional appearances slated for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Related: Sony Hack: Activists to Drop ‘Interview’ DVDs Over North Korea Via Balloon

The premiere cancellation is the latest development following a Nov. 24 cyberattack on Sony. On Tuesday, hackers released additional data, invoking the terror incidents of Sept. 11, 2011, in an email to reporters.

"Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made," the message from the hackers read in part. "The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)"

Sony discussed the situation with theater owners Tuesday, telling those that had booked The Interview that though it would move forward with the film’s release, exhibitors were free to decide not to show the film if they chose. On Tuesday evening, Carmike Cinemas decided to cancel its screenings of the film, as did the Los Angeles-area ArcLight Cinemas.

Also on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security said it found no evidence that there was an active plot targeting movie theaters in the United States.

The Interview, which centers on a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, had a premiere in Los Angeles last week.

Tatiana Siegel contributed to this report.