- After major movie theaters refused to show The Interview in the wake of terrorist threats against the film after a hack on Sony Pictures, the studio pulled the movie from its Christmas Day release plan.
- In response, indie-theaters decided to show Team America: World Police, a movie that features former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il as a singing marionette, as a replacement for The Interview.
- Paramount Pictures, the studio behind Team America has called off all of those showings.
Why did Paramount ban the showings of Team America?
Several theaters across the country reported on Twitter that they had received top-down orders from Paramount not to show the movie in place of The Interview.
Breaking Plaza news : Team America World Police pulled from all theatres as per Paramount Pictures .
— Plaza Atlanta (@PlazaAtlanta) December 18, 2014
Please note: Our Late Shift screening of Team America: World Police has been canceled by Paramount Pictures. pic.twitter.com/TlPVzIeICW
— Capitol Theatre (@CapitolW65th) December 18, 2014
Paramount has not sent out an official statement explaining why it has decided to cancel these impromptu screenings of Team America: World Police.