The Interview banked $1 million at the box office on Christmas Day, and it could make a couple million more over the long holiday weekend, reports CNNMoney.
“The audience reaction was fantastic – the limited release, in under 10 percent of the amount of theaters originally planned, featured numerous sellouts and a first-day gross over $1 million,” Sony Pictures worldwide distribution president Rory Bruer said in a statement.
Bruer nodded to the “incredibly challenging circumstances” around the release and said “we are extremely grateful to the people all over the country who came out to experience ‘The Interview’ on the first day” it was in theaters.
The scandalous Seth Rogen comedy could potentially make a lot more money online, through $5.99 movie rentals and future sales to streaming services like Netflix.
The results of Wednesday’s online release are not known, but if one million people rented it through YouTube, that’s a cool $6 million. The movie was also made available on Google Play, Microsoft’s Xbox video store and a special Sony Web site called SeeTheInterview.com.
According to CNNMoney, a broad, star-powered picture like The Interview, a big-tent release in 2,000 to 3,000 theaters is the top choice for a movie studio like Sony Pictures. It’s the difference between a $1 million and a $10 million box office total.
