Apple Said to Have Declined Offer From Sony to Host 'The Interview' on iTunes

The_Interview_2014_poster Sony Pictures recently attempted to enter talks with Apple over distributing its highly-anticipated film "The Interview" on iTunes, reports The New York Times. The report notes that Apple showed no interest in the offer, which came shortly after Sony Pictures announced that it would be canceling the wide theatrical release of the movie after being threatened by hackers.

It remained unclear, however, whether any on-demand service would take "The Interview." According to people briefed on the matter, Sony had in recent days asked the White House for help in lining up a single technology partner — Apple, which operates iTunes — but the tech company was not interested, at least not on a speedy time table. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Sony announced yesterday that it would be showing "The Interview" at select independent cinemas, with Sony Entertainment Chairman and CEO Michael Lynton noting that the company is "continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience.”

The movie has been the subject of controversy throughout the later half of 2014, as it depicts two journalists attempting to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un under the guidance of the CIA. The hacking of Sony Pictures and the movie's cancellation prompted widespread reaction, with U.S. President Barack Obama calling the latter move a "mistake."

Popular Stories

iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket is Now Completely Sold Out Worldwide

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:16 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. However, it is now completely sold out in all countries where it was released. iPhone Pocket became available to order on Apple's online store starting Friday, November 14, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, ...
New Intel Logo

Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

Friday November 28, 2025 7:33 am PST by
While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027. Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest...
iphone black friday gold

The Best Black Friday iPhone Deals Still Available

Friday November 28, 2025 6:24 am PST by
Cellular carriers have always offered big savings on the newest iPhone models during the holidays, and Black Friday 2025 sales have kicked off at AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and more. Right now we're tracking notable offers on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. For even more savings, keep an eye on older models during the holiday shopping season. Note: MacRumors is...
apple store down feature

Here's Why the Apple Store is Going Down

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:01 pm PST by
Apple's online store is going down for a few hours on a rolling country-by-country basis right now, but do not get your hopes up for new products. Apple takes its online store down for a few hours ahead of Black Friday every year to tease/prepare for its annual gift card offer with the purchase of select products. The store already went down and came back online in Australia and New Zealand, ...
streaming black friday 2025

Best Black Friday Streaming Deals - Save Big on Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, and More

Thursday November 27, 2025 1:14 pm PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air Flop Sparks Industry Retreat From Ultra-Thin Phones

Thursday November 27, 2025 3:14 am PST by
Apple's disappointing iPhone Air sales are causing major Chinese mobile vendors to scrap or freeze their own ultra-thin phone projects, according to reports coming out of Asia. Since the ‌iPhone Air‌ launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales and manufacturing cuts, while Apple's supply chain has scaled back shipments and production. Apple supplier Foxconn has...
Cyber Monday Deals 2025

Best Cyber Monday Apple Deals Include Big Discounts on AirPods, Apple Watch, and More

Sunday November 30, 2025 7:33 am PST by
Now that Black Friday is in the rearview mirror, Cyber Monday discounts have begun appearing online, and you can find popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more at all-time low prices. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may ...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Big Plans for iPad Mini 8

Friday November 28, 2025 8:39 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through the latest rumors about Apple's upcoming iPad mini 8. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos The next-generation version of the iPad mini is expected to feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple...

Top Rated Comments

iBlazed Avatar
143 months ago
Bravo, Apple!

Filthy Sony!

Hypocritical Sony!

Racist Sony!

Looks like Kim Jung Un got his internet connection back!
Score: 100 Votes (Like | Disagree)
H2SO4 Avatar
143 months ago
Bravo, Apple!

Filthy Sony!

Hypocritical Sony!

Racist Sony!

Eh? What?
Score: 71 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tankmaze Avatar
143 months ago
Meh. To my opinion Apple should take sony offer, with the publicity around this film,
it could very well made some good income for itunes.
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ammanas Avatar
143 months ago
What about the pirate bay ?
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Michael Scrip Avatar
143 months ago


The whole thing reeks of a publicity stunt. There are plenty of reasons why it wasn't and couldn't have been the DPRK hacking Sony.

Just Hollywood doing what they do best..propaganda and marketing/hype..

So.... to drum up hype for a single movie... Sony decided to leak their own private emails and other personal info from their employees?

Couldn't they have built hype without harming themselves and others?

Real information got leaked and caused real damage. Former employees are now suing Sony. Relationships will most likely be severed between Sony and some actors. If I was an actor/director/producer... I'd think twice about working for Sony now. Irreparable harm will be done to Sony.

Besides... Sony released 20 films this year and brought in over a billion dollars in theaters. Did they really need a publicity stunt for a silly Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy?
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
143 months ago
What's funny is that when this film leaks, 10 or 100x more people will now watch it than if nothing had happened at all.

All the hack did was publicise it. I guess North Korea has never heard of The Streisand Effect.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)