“THE INTERVIEW” SETS ONLINE SALES/RENTALS RECORD — BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

A week after it was yanked from major theatrical release, Sony’s The Interview earned a record $15 million online. (It also took in an additional $2.8 million from 331 mostly small independent theaters.) That’s $15 million that Sony didn’t have to split with theaters. But what does that mean for the future of cinema as we know it?

Radar Online: “The Interview” Generated $15 Million in Four Days with Two Million Downloads.

TheWrap.com: Will “The Interview’s” $15 Million Online Haul Be a Game Changer for Hollywood?

Sony’s decision not to make The Interview available for downloading overseas reportedly resulted in massive piracy abroad.

TorrentFreak.com: <em>The Interview Is a Pirate Hit