Obama is Glad Sony Released 'The Interview', So Is The World!

US President Barack Obama is really glad that Sony Pictures released the much-controversial Seth Rogen-James Franco starrer "The Interview."

Obama, who is currently on a vacation in Hawaii, was playing golf with the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak when someone asked if he would watch the movie. The president just smiled and said he was glad it was being released but didn't affirm if he would watch it, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The White House also echoed the president's sentiments saying: "The President welcomes the news that people will be able to decide for themselves whether or not to see this film, and appreciates Sony's work on this effort over the past few weeks. We do not live in a country where a foreign dictator can start imposing censorship here in the United States."

Last week, Obama ridiculed Sony Pictures for deciding to pull the movie asserting that the entertainment industry should not involve in self-censorship. Calling the threats "cybervandalism," Obama called Sony's decision a mistake and encouraged the studio to go ahead with the release.

"We've got very clear criteria as to what it means for a state to sponsor terrorism. And we don't make those judgments just based on the news of the day. We look systematically at what's been done and based on those facts, we'll make those determinations in the future," Obama said earlier.

"I was pretty sympathetic to the fact that they have business considerations that they got to make. Had they talked to me directly about this decision, I might have called the movie theater chains and distributors and asked them what the story was," the President added.

Soon after, Sony decided to release the movie. On Wednesday, CEO Michael Lynton said: "We never stopped pursuing as wide a release as possible for 'The Interview.' It was essential for our studio to release this movie, especially given the assault upon our business and our employees by those who wanted to stop free speech."

Currently, the movie is being screened in several theatres across the United States. Sony has also released the movie on online streaming platforms like Google Play and YouTube. The film is now available for download at just $5.99 online and fans say it's worth it.