History YMMV / TheInterview

** The documents also shot that several countries outright refused to distribute the movie, with reasons varying from the above-mentioned inappropriateness of the subject matter, to [[AmericansHateTingle Seth Rogen apparently not being popular overseas]].

* HilariousInHindsight: James Franco once made a memorable guest appearance in an episode of ''Series/ThirtyRock'', where he entered into a fake relationship with Jenna to dispel unsavory rumors about his love life. The cover story Franco devised? The two met while filming a (non-existent) movie that was subsequently shelved by the studio after being deemed too controversial to release.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: Leaked documents from Sony show that the studio viewed the movie as a complete train wreck, and felt that the TooSoon subject matter, coupled with the {{Gorn}} and BlackComedy, would likely kill any chance this movie had at the box office.

* BrokenBase: Pulling the movie from theaters - caving in to terrorist demands, or doing the most sensible course of action after said terrorists actually put their money where their mouth was?

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Zig-zagged. On one hand, the film got its entire premiere and theater run canceled. On the other hand, it's gotten ''WAY'' more press than it would have if North Korea hadn't objected so loudly about it, and if ever released would be guaranteed a massive audience [[ForbiddenFruit looking to see it just to spite North Korea]]. A significant amount of analysts even predict that at some point the whole film will get leaked, just to see what all the fuss is about.

* StreisandEffect

** It got worse when some theaters attempted to use ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'' (another anti-North Korea satirical film) as a replacement, only for Sony to kill those plans too.

* DudeNotFunny: North Korea's reaction to the movie in a nutshell. Some have even argued that [[StrawmanHasAPoint they have]] [[JerkassHasAPoint a point]], and have stated that a hypothetical Asian movie about a Western leader being assassinated [[NotSoDifferent would generate a similar controversy]].

* SoOkayItsAverage: The truncated premiere cut off the amount of critics that could attend the screenings, but general consensus is that the film is a fairly mediocre comedy that wasn't worth North Korea's time or anger, is more aimed for laughs than for critique, and will likely get a bunch of HypeBacklash once the general public gets to see it.

* MemeticMutation: Several, from ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'', which has Kim Jong-il as the BigBad. The Guardians of Peace's claim that they would retaliate with a second 9/11 has drawn comparison to "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZcZ6eJoxeE 9/11 times a hundred]]." "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ I'm So Ronery]]" started trending around the internet to mock the Kim family. As did "America Fuck Yeah", [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales but that has always been popular in the US]].

* RootingForTheEmpire: A number of people were/are actually for Guardians Of Peace hacking, many out of the belief that the financial damage Sony Pictures sustained would allow them to cut a deal with Marvel, granting Spider-Man an appearance in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse instead of Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries. This was helped along by the e-mail dumps from the hackers, which revealed that Sony Corporation was dissatisfied with the reboot of the franchise, and that key figures in Sony Pictures were setting up a deal with Marvel Studios.

* RootingForTheEmpire: A number of people were/are actually for Guardians Of Peace hacking, many out of the belief that the financial damage Sony Pictures sustained would allow them to cut a deal with Marvel, granting Spider-Man an appearance in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse instead of Film/TheAmazingSpiderManSeries.

** Seems to be working, except Marvel no longer wants Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. Seems to be a double-edged sword.

* AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame[=/=]ItWasHisSled: Thanks to the scene getting leaked, it'd quickly becoming rapid knowledge that [[spoiler:Kim Jong-un is killed in this film]]. And thanks to being the only leaked clip (aside from trailer previews), it's the only thing from the film itself that gets discussed.

* MemeticMutation: Several, from ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice'', which has Kim Jong-il as the BigBad.
** The Guardians of Peace's claim that they would retaliate with a second 9/11 has drawn comparison to "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZcZ6eJoxeE 9/11 times a hundred]]."
** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ I'm So Ronery]]" started trending around the Internet to mock the Kim Jongs. As did "America Fuck Yeah", [[MexicansLoveSpeedyGonzales but that has always been popular in the US]].
* OvershadowedByControversy: What started out as a lowbrow Seth Rogen / James Franco comedy quickly turned into an international crisis debating US-North Korea relations, freedom of speech, terrorism threats, and the limits of real life parody.
* SoOkayItsAverage: The truncated premiere cut off the amount of critics that could attend the screenings, but general consensus is that the film is a fairly mediocre comedy that wasn't worth North Korea's time or anger, is more aimed for laughs than for critique, and would likely get a bunch of HypeBacklash once the general public gets to see it.
* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice''. They occupy different genres (''The Interview'' is a political buddy comedy, ''Team America'' is an action-movie parody) but both films have been frequently compared, as they're both about a bunch of hapless idiots ordered to assassinate the head of North Korea, the dictator is a SissyVillain who claims he's just misunderstood, both attracted ire from North Korea (though in ''Team America'''s case it was limited just to the Czech Republic being urged to bad the film; they didn't), and in both films [[spoiler:the Kim leaders are killed]]. One Texas theater even tried to make up for the canceled premiere by offering a consolation screening of ''Team America'', but Paramount quickly squashed that.

* AllThereIsToKnowAboutTheCryingGame / ItWasHisSled: Thanks to the scene getting leaked, it'd quickly becoming rapid knowledge that [[spoiler:Kim Jong-un is killed in this film]]. And thanks to being the only leaked clip (aside from trailer previews), it's the only thing from the film itself that gets discussed.

* SpiritualSuccessor: To ''Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice''. They occupy different genres (''The Interview'' is a political buddy comedy, ''Team America'' is an action-movie parody) but both films have been frequently compared, as they're both about a bunch of hapless idiots ordered to assassinate the head of North Korea, the dictator is a SissyVillain who claims he's just misunderstood, both attracted ire from North Korea (though in ''Team America'''s case it was limited just to the Czech Republic being urged to bad the film; they didn't), and in both films [[spoiler:the Kim Jong guys are killed]]. One Texas theater even tried to make up for the canceled premiere by offering a consolation screening of ''Team America'', but Paramount quickly squashed that.

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Zig-zagged. On one hand, the film got its entire premiere and theater run canceled. On the other hand, it's gotten '''way''' more press than it would have if North Korea hadn't objected so loudly about it, and if ever released would be guaranteed a massive audience [[ForbiddenFruit looking to see it just to spite North Korea]]. A significant amount of analysts even predict that at some point the whole film will get leaked, just to see what all the fuss is about.

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Zig-zagged. On one hand, the film got its entire premiere and theater run canceled. On the other hand, it's gotten ''way'' more press than it would have if North Korea hadn't objected so loudly about it, and if ever released would be guaranteed a massive audience [[ForbiddenFruit looking to see it just to spite North Korea]]. A significant amount of analysts even predict that at some point the whole film will get leaked, just to see what all the fuss is about.

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Zig-zagged. On one hand, the film got its entire premiere and theater run canceled. On the other hand, it's gotten way more press than it would have if North Korea hadn't objected so loudly about it, and if ever released would be guaranteed a massive audience [[ForbiddenFruit looking to see it just to spite North Korea]]. A significant amount of analysts even predict that at some point the whole film will get leaked, just to see what all the fuss is about.

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Zig-zagged. On one hand, the film got its premiere canceled. On the other hand, it's gotten way more press than it would have if North Korea hadn't objected so loudly about it, and if ever released would be guaranteed a massive audience [[ForbiddenFruit looking to see it just to spite North Korea]]. A significant amount of analysts even predict that at some point the whole film will get leaked, just to see what all the fuss is about.

* NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity: Zig-zagged. On one hand, the film got its premiere canceled. On the other hand, it's gotten way more press than it would have if North Korea hadn't objected so loudly about it, and if ever released would be guaranteed a massive audience [[ForbiddenFruit looking to see it just to spite North Korea]].

** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEaKX9YYHiQ I'm So Ronery]]" started trending around the Internet to mock the Kim Jongs. As did "America Fuck Yeah", but that has always been popular in the US.

* MemeticMutation: The Guardians of Peace claim that they would retaliate with a second 9/11 has drawn comparison to "[[Film/TeamAmericaWorldPolice 9/11 times ten]]."