Bloomberg Quotes John Burke on Sony’s Options for “The Interview”
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For its article “Threats Won’t Keep Rogen Fans From Seeing ‘The Interview’,” Bloomberg quoted Akin Gump entertainment and media practice head P. John Burke on the options Sony Pictures might have to distribute its film The Interview after abandoning plans for its theatrical release in the wake of widely publicized threats.
Burke noted that, Starz LLC, the premium cable-TV channel that partners with Sony, would only have rights to those films that have had a theatrical release. Because The Interview was not released in cinemas, it may be that Sony could market the film elsewhere.
He said that, in the home entertainment field, Sony has partnered with cable and satellite TV distributors as well as with DVD retailers, in addition to Starz. Burke said that these parties would have to consider whether they wanted any involvement with the film, noting, “That’s probably what’s going on with Sony’s partners. They’re asking how close do we want to get to this. The retail outlets may have said they don’t want the product in their stores.”
He did note that The Interview may eventually appear in theaters: “I don’t think you’re going to see it through a major studio. It may be released through a smaller company that is more entrepreneurial and willing to take the risks.”
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