Apple turned down the opportunity to distribute the controversial movie The Interview on iTunes, despite a plea from Sony to the White House aimed at getting Cupertino on board.
Sony hoped Apple would step up as its sole “technology partner” to distribute the film, according to The New York Times.
The comedy, which co-stars Seth Rogen and James Franco as broadcast journalists sent on a mission to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, raised the ire of hackers, who threatened violence if the film was released on Christmas day.
Sony first canceled the film’s release, then flip-flopped and will open The Interview at select independent theaters Thursday despite threats from the hackers, who are reportedly from North Korea.
It’s not yet clear which streaming-media outlets will distributing the movie, or at what point (if any) The Interview will show up on iTunes. Apple is, however, continuing to distribute the North Korea-baiting comedy Team America: World Police, which also recently came under scrutiny, due to its depiction of former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il.
Apple hasn’t made any public comment about the current furor over The Interview. It’s a shame the company turned down Sony’s offer, however, not least because it would have been payback against North Korea for ripping off OS X with its state-owned operating system.
Then again, Sony is a company that competes against Apple in a number of areas. Plus, Sony Pictures recently threw in the towel on the Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs movie.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
10 responses to “Apple snubs Sony offer to distribute The Interview through iTunes”
I wouldn’t be surprised if this stupid film didn’t exist. Who cares anyway? It is just political nonsense pushing for our attention. Give it a miss.
I was really hoping Apple would step up and sell this movie. Disappointing.
Not surprising. Apple relies on the Eastern nations to build their products and China is one of the strongest markets they have – and only getting stronger. Doing anything to upset that gravy train would be silly, especially for another Rogen/Franco flick…
fuc# Apple, this company just sucks on a 100 different levels.
I don’t understand why folks are upset that Apple isn’t showing #TheInterview. Their deadline for submissions was the 22nd. Just because Sony is spineless and was forced to NOT show the movie then forced to actually show the movie means that Apple must bend backwards too. And finally…when they declined they basically said “Not on a speedy timetable”. Which means they will release it, just not today for today.
Apple skips offering this movie, not a bit shocker given the cozy relationship the DPRK as with China. However SONY could make things a bit more fun for Apple come renewal time of any contracts and they should. Apple only cares about IT’S PROFITS.
If only you cared about your grammar.
Look, this movie is no masterpiece but for some foreign government to have enough power to kill it off is ridiculous and Apple really had a chance to stand up here and show the film but they bolted.
Maybe word came down from on high (read: China) not to show the film.
Since there would be no Apple without China to make their products, China can totally call the shots in times like these and may well have. Either that or Apple got scared of something like that potentially happening and ran like the wind. Or maybe it was a combination of the two.
Fortunately, Google and Microsoft aren’t set up in a way that they’re dependent on foreign governments and countries to operate their respective companies and they stood up.
To be clear, I’m a long-time Apple customer and their products and support have been outstanding the whole way for me but I might as well say that they kind of hosed this.
I wouldn’t go as far to say that Apple came of like China’s lap dog here but as North Korea’s only major ally is China and Apple has gone totally dark on the matter, something pretty deep seems to be going on.
iTunes Connect shutdown is the reason. They literally can’t put it up because there’s no one in the offices to set up the release.
Just watched movie. Boy was that bad . No need to criticize apple as thats one stupid movie.