George R.R. Martin Blasts Sony’s ‘Cowardice’ Over ‘Interview’ Decision
Sony Pictures’ decision to pull The Interview from its December 25th theatrical release date – and put the film in indefinite hiatus – has been met by criticism from both politicians and filmmakers. Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin has now joined the ever-growing list of people upset with the movie company succumbing to the hackers’ demands.
Martin owns the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, New Mexico, so the cancellation of The Interview affected him directly. “The level of corporate cowardice here astonishes me,” the author wrote on his LiveJournal. “It’s a good thing these guys weren’t around when Charlie Chaplin made The Great Dictator. If Kim Jong-un scares them, Adolf Hitler would have had them shitting in their smallclothes.
“I haven’t seen The Interview,” he continued. “I have no idea how good or bad a film it is. It might be hilarious. It might be stupid and offensive and outrageous. (Actually, I am pretty sure about the ‘outrageous’ part). It might be all of the above. That’s not the point, though. Whether it’s the next Citizen Kane or the next Plan 9 From Outer Space, it astonishes me that a major Hollywood film could be killed before release by threats from a foreign power and anonymous hackers.”
To fill the void left by The Interview, and to openly defy the hackers, many indie cinemas planned on showing the similarly North Korea-baiting flick Team America: World Police. Martin was among those who hoped to screen the 2004 film, made by South Park‘s Trey Parker and Matt Stone. However, that idea was nixed when Paramount Pictures announced they, too, were pulling the film from theaters, which further angered Martin.
“The cowardice is contagious, it would appear,” he wrote in another post. “Regal. AMC. Cinemark. Sony. And now Paramount. Where does it end? I guess I should contact our new North Korean masters to ask them what movies we will be allowed to show at the Cocteau.” The author listed his “Current Mood” as “Infuriated.”