MANHATTAN — “The Interview” missed its wide national release because of threats from hackers, but a group of New York City improv performers is planning a live reading of the film this Saturday at a Chelsea theater.
The three comedians producing the free performance at the Treehouse Theater said they came up with the idea after discussing how the film had been shut down by hackers upset by the comedy's plot.
“What happened was a threat to free speech,” said Barry Scheckner, who’s producing the play with Dave Hensley and Sean Perrotta, two other comedians he met through the Upright Citizens Brigade.
Sony had initially planned to widely release "The Interview" on Christmas Day, but then backed off after several theaters refused to show it because of terror threats related to the film's plot. In the film, Seth Rogen and James Franco play TV journalists who assassinate Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader.
Sony announced on Tuesday that it would allow a limited release of the film, and several theaters announced plans to show it, but none in New York City so far.
The version of "The Interview" that Scheckner, Hensley and Perrota will perform is based on a version of the script they found online. It likely won't be the same as the final cut of the film that will be shown in theaters, since Rogen and Franco frequently improvise in the movies they do together.
To find a performance venue, Scheckner approached Treehouse Theater artistic director and general manager Rob Reese, and Reese quickly agreed.
“We thought it was an excellent expression — a specific intentional expression — of free speech in light of that right being compromised,” Reese said. “And we want to show our support for artists of all genres to fully express themselves, even when it’s a silly fart movie.”
The live reading will be staged for free at 7 p.m. Dec. 27 at the Treehouse Theater, 154 W. 29th Street.
