Actors James Franco and Seth Rogen arrive for the premiere of the film “The Interview” at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, California on December 11, 2014.
A little controversy added up to $1 million for “The Interview” at the box office on Christmas Day, Sony Pictures reported Friday.
That’s an impressive haul when you consider the $44 million film was shown in only 300 independent theaters on Thursday, after also being released online Wednesday — and especially considering it wasn’t going to be shown at all, as of late last week.
Most of the 300 theaters reported sold-out screenings, indicating “The Interview” could finish the holiday weekend with several million at the box office. Those theaters accounted for only 10 percent of the planned release for the film, said Rory Bruer, Sony’s president of worldwide distribution.
“Considering the incredibly challenging circumstances, we are extremely grateful to the people all over the country who came out to experience ‘The Interview’ on the first day of its unconventional release,” Bruer said in a statement.
Christmas Day also showed solid returns for Angelina Jolie’s “Unbroken,” which pulled in a first-day total of $15.59 million. That’s the third-biggest Christmas Day debut, behind “Sherlock Holmes” with $24 million and “Les Miserables” with $18 million.
“Into the Woods,” with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt, finished second with $15.08 million.