‘The Interview’: Seven Other Controversial Film Releases in History

“The Interview,” Seth Rogen and James Franco’s comedy about killing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has now joined the dubious pantheon of truly controversial films. Following threats of violence from cyberterrorists reportedly working on North Korea’s behalf, Sony Pictures pulled the film from its Dec. 25 release date after the five leading movie theater chains in the U.S. decided not to run it. It’s also not clear when the movie will see the light of day.

At least one theater, however, was prepared to run the movie before Sony pulled the plug. The Alamo Drafthouse in the Dallas-Fort Worth area said it would, however, run “Team America: World Police” in its place.

Why is that significant? The raunchy 2004 action comedy “Team America,” performed by puppets and written by the guys behind “South Park,” presents the previous North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Il, as a grotesque caricature who is secretly an alien cockroach. While the movie was controversial — it also skewered prominent Hollywood liberals and U.S. foreign policy — it was released wide without a hitch and went on to gross $32 million in the U.S., according to Box Office Mojo.