Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s slapstick political comedy, The Interview, isn’t exactly the sort of controversial movie you’d expect at the centre of a national security scandal. That is, however, exactly where it was situated late last year when the Sony movie came under fire from a faceless cyberterrorist group. The film emerged as an emblem for free speech – regardless of its quality, content or appeal – and has steadily acquired worldwide notoriety. With such a massive amount of column inches dedicated to the incident, it’s become a globally-recognized name. One which Netflix has now snapped up.
Per Variety, the streaming giant announced today that they would be offering the movie to their U.S and Canadian subscribers starting Saturday, January 24th. During the initial uproar, a leaked rumour hinted at the possibility of Netflix releasing the pic at that time – but they lost out to their competitors YouTube and Amazon, who offered the movie as a paid rental. Well, Sony had to make some money back, right?
Adding The Interview to their ever-expanding catalogue of instant streaming content couldn’t have come at a better time for Netflix. The company laid out their fiscal earnings from the last year in a new report – courtesy of The Wrap – suggesting their reign as Kings of Content may continue for some time. In 2014, the number of subscribers increased by a whopping 13 million, leaving their current total members at 57.4 million. The rise in customers directly contributed to their increased takings; a staggering $83 million in the fourth quarter of the year.
Their commitment to producing original programming, exclusive to their service, has also raised their profile and lured in new subscribers over the year. From prison dramedy Orange Is The New Black to political drama House Of Cards, the “season dump” format marks them as perfect binge-watching fodder that have no doubt contributed to their ongoing success.
But I digress. If there’s anyone left on the planet who still hasn’t seen The Interview you can check it out on Netflix this Saturday.