'The Interview' Will Not Release In Asia?

James Franco and Seth Rogen's upcoming action comedy film "The Interview", which is said to have been the trigger for the devastating hack on Sony Pictures, will reportedly not get a release in Japan, South Korea or other Asian territories.

Earlier, a group of activists calling themselves Guardians of Peace, warned movie executives at Sony to scrap plans to release the film.

However, the decision to not release the film, about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, is said to have been made before the late November hack on Sony's computer network, reports hollywoodreporter.com

"It was never going to be released in Japan," the news website quoted a source as saying. "Like some of those R-rated Adam Sandler comedies that go down very well in the States (US), they don't work here and don't get released," the source added.

Among the documents leaked, internal emails show Sony Corp CEO Kaz Hirai was concerned enough about The Interview to give unprecedented input on individual scenes. The Interview will open in the U.S. on Christmas Day, Australia on Jan. 22 and New Zealand on Jan. 29, the only scheduled releases in the Asia-Pacific region.

Recently, Angelina Jolie's directed Unbroken is said to be banned in Japan. The biopic has also been slammed by Japanese nationalists and is asked to be banned from release.