Sony will allow theaters to show 'The Interview'

Security guards stand at the entrance of United Artists theater during the premiere of the film “The Interview” in Los Angeles, California December 11, 2014. REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian

Between issuing threats to news organizations and Twitter over leaked Sony Pictures emails, Sony’s attorney David Boies found time to appear on NBC’s “Meet the Press” last Sunday.

Sony Pictures previously nuked the planned Christmas Day theatrical release of “The Interview,” a film linked to the hack attacks on Sony Pictures by maybe North Korea.

But Boies says screenings are on the way, and word trickling out today confirms this.

“Sony only delayed this,” Boies said. “Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed. It will be distributed. Sony has been fighting to get this picture distributed. It will be distributed.”

James Franco and Seth Rogen star in the movie about two reporters’ attempt to assassinate North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. The movie looks dumb.

Last Wednesday after threats of violence at theaters planning to screen the movie, the studio said in a statement, “Sony Pictures has no further release plans for the film.”

But now, after President Obama said the motion picture firm “made a mistake” in bowing to the hackers’ demands, that tune has changed.

Today, reports are circulating about a planned January release. And Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse plans to screen it on Christmas Day.

In a statement today, Sony Pictures CEO Michael Lynton says,

“We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we’re excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day. At the same time we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience.”

Sony says reports that the comedy will be released on Crackle are false. Given the apparent revived plans for release in theaters, that makes sense.