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Lancaster, SC– It’s sparked terror threats and cyber attacks, but 200 people showed up to watch The Interview on Christmas Day in Lancaster.
There are four theaters in North and South Carolina playing the film. One is in Roxboro, NC. The others are in Charleston, Columbia and Lancaster, SC.
WCCB Charlotte was at Lancaster’s Crown Cinemas as crowds poured into the theater. Most wanted to prove a point.
“We came here because North Korea told us we can’t watch the movie,” said Casey McCorkle. “So, I called a bunch of people.”
“It’s America! I mean, we’re free!” said Jessica Camacho.
The comedy quickly gained notoriety because of the controversy for it’s story line: an attempted assassination of North Korea’s Dictator, Kim Jong-Un.
“It’s a movie! It’s just a movie,” said Camacho.
A group the FBI traced to North Korea, “Guardians of Peace” took responsibility for terrorist threats and cyber attacks against the maker, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
It shut down thousands of computers and compromised personal information to convince the business to pull the film. At first, Sony Pictures did.
“I was like how? Why? Why would you do that?” said Matthew Taylor.
After President Obama criticized the cancellation, the company released the film to theaters that wanted to show it.
The owner of Crown Cinemas, James Trivett wanted it.
“No dictator can tell us what we can’t see,” said Trivett.
89 people sat in the first showing on Christmas Day. The same number sat in the second showing that day.
There was no extra security, but double the crowd and double the money on the normally slow holiday.
Last year, Trivett had to borrow money to pay taxes.
“I was going to have to do that again,” said Trivett
.
With The Interview crowd, he won’t worry about that this year.
He expects bigger crowds over the weekend.
