Sony makes $15M on ‘The Interview’ online

Sony Pictures on Sunday said “The Interview” has made $15 million through online purchases since it was released on Christmas Day.

It’s a significant windfall for the film, which is screening in only a few hundred theaters, after major chains refused show it, after an online group threatened to carry out terrorist attacks against theaters screening the movie.

{mosads}The earnings could represent a threat to traditional cinemas that have long opposed moves by Hollywood to offer major first-run films online at the same time they are offered to traditional theaters.

But it will be seen as a victory for supporters of the film, who have rallied around it since Sony initially canceled its release. President Obama criticized the movie studio over that move.

Sony was also the victim of a major hacking incident that the FBI has blamed on North Korea.

The Seth Rogen and James Franco comedy depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, something that led that country to describe the film as an act of war.

In theaters, the movie only brought in about $2.8 million, according to CNN.

The online purchases could be further increased by a live-tweet event Sunday. In an effort to drive more people to the film, its stars Rogen and Franco watched it and live-tweeted on Twitter throughout their screening.