The release saga of The Interview continues.  When the hubbub surrounding directors Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s comedy hit a fever pitch and Sony announced a same-day VOD release after the film opened in a limited number of theaters, rumors swirled that Netflix might also be picking up the movie to offer to its subscribers.  That obviously didn’t happen, but it’s apparently never too late.  Netflix announced today that The Interview will be available to stream starting this Saturday, January 24th.  More after the jump.

Per THR, Netflix will be releasing The Interview on its streaming service to U.S. and Canadian subscribers starting this Saturday, just 30 days after the film hit theaters.  It’s a tad disappointing to see a movie you paid for hit Netflix so quickly, but I’m happy to see the film’s release window continue to expand nonetheless.  Sony Pictures Entertainment said earlier today that The Interview generated over $40 million in digital sales since its release, which is pretty impressive for a film that essentially went straight-to-VOD.  Of course, it would’ve made more in a wide release, but I think this is a fascinating test case for what could be a new model of distribution for medium-budgeted studio films in the future.

As for the film itself, I liked it well enough but found it to be a bit underwhelming following the brilliance that was Rogen and Goldberg’s directorial debut, This Is the End.  It’s a bit odd that The Interview gained the distinction of becoming a symbol for patriotism and freedom of speech, since the movie itself is really just a silly comedy with a sprinkle of socio-political commentary.  This isn’t some meticulously crafted, high-minded piece of satire, it’s a movie in which James Franco screams at the sky in desperation about fake fruit.

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