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US cinema takes ‘Ronery’ stand against North Korea, airing Team America in lieu of canned The Interview

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By John McCarthy | Opinion Editor

December 18, 2014 | 2 min read

A Texas cinema has put itself in North Korea’s crosshairs by opting to air Team America in place of Sony’s canned comedy The Interview which was supposed to premiere on Christmas Day.

Team America, a satiric tale showcasing an American taskforce’s clash with Kim Jung Il - who ultimately is revealed as a cockroach in a mechanised human suit - will be aired in The Interview’s place.

Independent movie chain, the Alamo Drafthouse, based in Richardson, Texas, has refunded showings of the Interview. It will instead offer cinema-goers the chance to view Team America for free on 27 December.

The move drew a high volume of commentary on Twitter with ‘#TheInterview’, 'Team America', 'North Korea' and 'Sony' all trending in the UK.

The movie was canceled after hacking group, ‘Guardians of Peace’ promised attacks reminiscent of the “11th of September 2001” on cinemas showing the movie.

The following clip, from The Interview, portraying the death of Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is thought to have sparked the cyber-attack against Sony.

Cancellation doesn't appear to have done the canned North Korea comedy much harm on Twitter however, The Interview has surged in popularity since its unceremonious ditching, racking up 732k tweets since Tuesday alone.

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