One thing that Kim Jong Un may or may not have objected to in “The Interview”: after a night of debauchery, he’s seen shirtless in bed with James Franco’s also-shirtless Dave Skylark character and a bevy of beauties. In the screenwriter Dan Sterling’s 2012 original version, this is how the scene read:

INT. PRIVATE LOUNGE – DAY
Dave and Kim are in a bed naked, with the four women.
They’re all playing MORTAL KOMBAT

Right so you’re thinking, either lucky Kim, or he should be so lucky. It’s hard to say if North Korea’s fearless leader would feel the same way. Certainly, the original screenplay made it seem like quite a night had occurred. By this time, Franco’s Dave and President Kim have cried together, shared their love of puppies, and Katy Perry.

Many parts of the original screenplay were altered so as not to cause World War III.

Here’s one exchange:
NARRATOR (V.O.)
Our Beloved Leader is one of the
world’s most accomplished artists.
Moreover, he is the most fierce
warrior. As well, he is a genius
at business and also medicine and
agriculture.
SETH
(sotto to Dave)
“Moreover, he is champion at
fellatio. He can suck a 12 inch
*** while ice-skating backwards.”
Seth turns to Dave and sees that he looks spooked.

More to come….

In 2004, the South Park team released a hilarious feature film called “Team America: World Police.” Kim Jong Un’s dad, Kim Jong Il, was spoofed mercilessly. For some reason, everyone’s forgotten that in the wake of “The Interview.” That movie was produced by Scott Rudin, who’s now all over the Sony hack. Everything old is new again!

here are some clips:

Told ya:

Sony has decided to pull “The Interview” from its scheduled Dec 25 release.

Read the full statement from Sony below:

“In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers.

Sony Pictures has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale – all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”

A couple of years ago, Sony had a James Franco–Seth Rogen movie called “This is the End.” Now that title is coming true. When Sony inevitably pulls the plug on the Rogen-Franco movie “The Interview,” it will have a domino effect through the company. (BowTie theaters are the latest to say they won’t show it, virtually guaranteeing no run.)

Without “The Interview,” Sony has no holiday season. Their other big release, a remake of “Annie,” has terrible reviews and worse word of mouth. The only upside is that it’s the only movie for kids. But even they may not want to see it.

Sony hasn’t had a great year. They had only three movies cross the $100 mil mark— “The Amazing Spider Man 2,” “22 Jump Street,” and “The Equalizer.” Brad Pitt’s “Fury” is only around $84 mil, and that’s pretty much it. Nothing else really worked, and they handed “Foxcatcher,” their one shot at an Oscar, to Sony Pictures Classics. As it is, “Foxcatcher” is not catching on the way everyone hoped despite rave reviews. George Clooney’s “Monuments Men” was a big disappointment. On the bright side, Sony released “Heaven is for Real,” a faith based movie no one in LA or New York ever saw, and it grossed $91 million.

If “The Interview” had been a smash hit comedy, that might have helped. But even without the controversy and inevitable postponement, “The Interview” is getting reviews that would have killed it anyway. If “Annie” breaks even there will be a sigh of relief. But again, word of mouth and reviews are negative.

The problem is, there’s not much on the horizon. There’s “Mall Cop 2” and a Neill Blomkamp sci-fi adventure called “Chappie” with Hugh Jackman coming in March. Sony is literally waiting all year for Bond 24, “Spectre,” to give them a major boost. By the time James Bond mixes that martini, many major players in this game may be history.

Forget Kim Jong Un. Seth Rogen and James Franco’s comedy “The Interview” has far more shocking revelations than anything about North Korea. Rapper Eminem and actor Rob Lowe appear in hilarious cameos as guests — playing themselves– of Franco’s celebrity interviewer Dave Skylark.

Lowe reveals on Skylark’s show that he’s actually bald. He removes a wig and shows off a few strands of dark hair. Skylark tells him, “It’s not so bad.”

****************SPOILER ALERT***********

But it’s Eminem that gets all the laughs. Skylark asks him about his numerous homophobic lyrics and remarks. Eminem explains: “That’s because I’m gay. I like men. I can’t believe people didn’t pick up on that.” Marshall Mathers says it all with a straight face, matter of factly  with a priceless deadpan delivery.

That’s what “The Interview” is all about. It’s completely silly and as far removed from reality as it could be. Yes, Kim Jong Un is presumably killed when a train explodes. But it’s a comic moment after 90 minutes of Randall Park playing a genteel and somewhat loveable Korean dictator. In fact, when he does presumably die, a lot of the film does, too. North Koreans are probably not gifted in nuance. But somehow Kim Jong Un comes off as sympathetic, not menacing.

I hope Eminem wasn’t expected a marketing push from “The Interview.” The movie is likely being postponed. Maybe forever.

That’s a wrap on “The Interview.” It will likely be pulled from its December 25th release and held until next year. Landmark Theaters put the kibosh on Thursday’s New York premiere following Carmike Theatres cancelling their run in 284 theatres. I told you the School of Visual Arts cancelled its free screening for Tuesday night. It’s only a few hours until Sony announces “The Interview” will come back one day when all this passes.

Fox had to do this last year when Ben Stiller’s comedy “Neighborwood Watch” by accident came too close to the Trayvon Martin story in real life. The movie was retitled “The Watch” and bombed months later.

So the villains, so to speak, have won. Sony can’t take the chance of any trouble on Christmas Day. Whoever is hacking and threatening them knows this.

Hindsight is 20/20 but you do wonder why, when trouble was first brewing months ago, they didn’t just change the ending of “The Interview” so Kim Jong Un wasn’t assassinated. He’s such a likeable character for most of the movie, he could have moved to Hollywood with Franco and Rogen. Oh well. Too late now.