If the metric of success for Sony regarding The Interview is recouping its money (which at this point it’s probably not), then the film will likely fall short. But by any other metric, the Seth Rogen/James Franco film has been a pretty big hit.
Sony has announced that the film, which was released online on Christmas Eve, has since raked in over $31 million in streaming revenues. It’s been rented or purchased more the 4.3 million times. That means that it’s doubled its opening weekend take – which was around $15 million.
These numbers are even more impressive when you consider piracy, which surely cut into Sony’s earnings. In the first two days following official availability, The Interview was downloaded over 1.5 million times via torrent sites.
With $31 million, The Interview is officially Sony’s biggest online release ever. It was the most-talked about nugget of pop culture for a couple weeks. By these metrics, it’s a success.
Of course, a Christmas Day wide release (what was originally planned) would have likely been much better. To date, the movie has only grossed about $5 million in theaters – but that’s due to a severely limited release.
At this point the Sony hack, which started the ball rolling and ultimately led to the film’s cancellation and subsequent revival, most certainly has prevented the film from breaking even. The Interview was made on a $44 million budget, and Sony is said to have spent at least $35 million on marketing efforts.
Image via The Interview, Facebook