We know it's a cliché, but this time Christmas really has come early — quite literally. Yesterday, it was revealed that a handful of theaters across the country would be screening The Interview on Christmas day.
It turns out audiences everywhere won't have to wait that long.
Sony will stream The Interview on YouTube, Google Play, and Xbox Video for $5.99 beginning Wednesday at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST), sources confirmed. The movie will also be available for purchase for $14.99.
The news comes just days after Sony decided to pull the controversial film from theaters amid terrorist threats. The studio was wildly condemned for their decision, which was seen by many — including President Obama — as having irrevocable implications on our freedom of expression.
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Multiple reports surfaced that Sony had since softened their position and were looking for alternate ways to release the film, including various VOD platforms.
"Last Wednesday Sony began contacting a number of companies, including Google, to ask if we’d be able to make their movie, The Interview, available online," Google said in an official statement. "We'd had a similar thought and were eager to help — though given everything that’s happened, the security implications were very much at the front of our minds."
"Of course it was tempting to hope that something else would happen to ensure this movie saw the light of day," Google continued. "But after discussing all the issues, Sony and Google agreed that we could not sit on the sidelines and allow a handful of people to determine the limits of free speech in another country (however silly the content might be)."
So, by the time you finish reading this article, you will finally have access to the most talked about movie of the year. But please, no spoilers. (CNN)