It really feels like a hornet's nest is being kicked with the upcoming The Interview. The Christmas Day comedy has already sparked talk of being an "act of war" on the part of America against Korea, and now we're getting pretty nervous re-writes. It looks like directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's vision is not making it onto the screen intact.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Sony is considering several digital alterations to the material that will soften the blow. One is the alteration of various buttons worn by the North Korean characters in the film, which apparently are accurate representations of buttons worn by certain military officials in North Korea, a detail that the trade says would be "considered blasphemous to the nuclear-armed nation." But another planned change stems from the third act, which is why we'll be moving into spoiler territory here.
Apparently, The Interview includes the heartwarming sight of Kim Jong Un's face melting off. Unless that's a fantasy sequence (or even if), that's a pretty harsh way to go. The guy's already pissed at the general idea of the movie. Is he really going to be won over by a scene where he watches an impersonator pretend to be a faceless version of him? The moment is apparently in slow motion, which likely means its graphic nature is played for laughs. Which is pretty morbid, when you think about it. Rogen and Goldberg are reportedly batting around the idea of cutting it because they're not sure that it's funny. Here's the thing: it's super morbid. And that's probably what makes it funny. What's funnier? People taking their relatives on Christmas Day to see a movie where someone's face melts off in horrifyingly unfunny slow motion. If you thought the harsh responses to Wolf Of Wall Street were bad, oh, man, your grandma is never going to talk to you again.
Kim Jong Un is actually something of a film buff, so hopefully he sees value in this depiction. His father also was a movie fan, and while most are uncertain about his feelings regarding dying horribly in Team America: World Police, his lack of outrage suggests he was at least mildly amused. Rogen, who previously directed This Is The End with Goldberg, doesn't seem to feel the heat, responding frequently on Twitter that he hopes Kim Jong Un enjoys the movie. Hopefully, that's the case. Antagonizing a rogue nation in this manner could be dangerous, and spokesmen have allegedly commented on the possibility of President Barack Obama blocking the film from release. The hope is that it's no big deal, but it really does feel like a whole lot of trouble for a funny movie, right?
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