Don’t expect any films about North Korea to come out of Hollywood anytime soon.
Hours after Sony announced that it was pulling the plug on The Interview’s theatrical release, another film set in Kim Jon-un’s nation has been scrapped.
Pyongyang, a film starring Steve Carell and directed by Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean), will no longer be made under New Regency and Fox.
Here’s Verbinski’s statement to Deadline, who first broke the news:
Getting the facts straight:
Yesterday, I was told by New Regency and Fox that Fox will no longer be distributing the film. Prior to that, the film was green lit and fully funded by New Regency with Fox distributing. I have been told in no uncertain words that based on the situation at Sony, Fox has now decided to not distribute the film. Without a distributor, New Regency was forced to shut the film down.My thoughts:
I find it ironic that fear is eliminating the possibility to tell stories that depict our ability to overcome fear.
According to Deadline, the film, a paranoid thriller, was slated to begin production in March 2015 as part of a three-picture deal between the Regency and Verbinski.
Moments after Sony announced the cancellation of The Interview, Carell and other celebrities expressed their frustration on Twitter.
