Obama welcomes Sony release of 'The Interview'

President Barack Obama welcomed Sony’s decision to reverse course and release the North Korea-themed movie “The Interview” on Christmas Day, the White House said Tuesday.
“The president applauds Sony’s decision to authorize screenings of the film,” spokesman Eric Schultz said in a statement from Hawaii, where Obama is vacationing.

“As the president made clear, we are a country that believes in free speech, and the right of artistic expression,” Schultz continued. “The decision made by Sony and participating theaters allows people to make their own choices about the film, and we welcome that outcome.”
Obama said last week that Sony made “a mistake” in deciding to cancel the film’s release amid a cyberattack on Sony’s network that the Obama administration linked to Pyongyang. He declined to say at that time whether he planned to watch the movie at the White House, and Schultz made no mention of the president’s viewing plans.
Starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, “The Interview” centers around a comedic plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Sony announced Tuesday that the movie will be released on Thursday in “a number of theaters.”