‘The Interview’ won’t be released in Canada on Christmas Day: Sony

TORONTO – Sony Pictures Entertainment says the controversial comedy "The Interview" will not be released in Canadian theatres on Christmas Day.

The film, which provoked an international incident with North Korea, is set to open in more than 200 American theatres on Thursday, the day it was originally set for wide release.

The major multiplex chains in the U.S. and Canada dropped "The Interview" last week after hackers, allegedly backed by North Korea, threatened terrorist attacks against theatres showing the film.

"The Interview" stars Vancouver's Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists who are recruited by the CIA to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

A Sony spokeswoman, who does not want to be named, says the company is still looking into the Canadian release of the movie.

Sony's decision to shelve the movie drew fierce criticism, including from President Barack Obama, who chastised the company for what he deemed "a mistake" that went against American principles of free speech.

North Korea's Internet was shut down in an apparent attack Monday following Obama's pledge of a response to what he called North Korea's "cyber vandalism" of Sony.

The White House and State Department have declined to say whether the U.S. government was responsible for the outages.