After Sony canceled the release of its comedy “The Interview,” one Texas theater planned to screen “Team America: World Police” instead.
That is, until studio Paramount shut that down, too.
According to the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Dallas/Forth Worth, a screening of “Team America: World Police” — a 2004 satiric comedy, written by “South Park’s” Trey Parker and Matt Stone, that includes the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in a key role — has been canceled. The theater had planned to show “Team America” in place of “The Interview,” the controversial comedy about a planned assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il’s son, which was pulled by Sony Pictures Wednesday.
“The Interview” was scheduled to open Christmas Day, but Sony canceled its debut following a threat from a group that claims it hacked the studio.
The Alamo Drafthouse has said that it was “trying to make the best of an unfortunate situation” by swapping in “Team America” for the now absent “The Interview.”
But, according to Alamo Drafthouse, “Team America” is no longer in play.
The screening “was canceled as the film was pulled from release,” a spokesperson for the theater confirmed.
Two other theaters that also planned to screen “Team America,” the Plaza Atlanta Theatre and Cleveland, Ohio’s Capitol Theatre, have shared similar statements.
“Please note: Our Late Shift screening of Team America: World Police has been canceled by Paramount Pictures,” Capitol Theatre tweeted Thursday.
“We want to play it,” the Plaza Atlanta told its followers, but added they were told “we are not allowed.”
A spokeswoman for Paramount declined to comment.
As of now, it looks like “The Interview” is similarly shelved. Despite speculation the comedy might be released digitally, studio Sony Pictures said in a statement that it “has no further release plans for the film.”
