When Sony Pictures began casting last year for a new comedy to be called “The Interview,” early scripts included the assassination of a fictionalized North Korean ruler. It was not until auditions began that actors learned that the movie would portray something much more brazen: the violent killing of the actual leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un.
Sony’s executives now say they knew that basing a film on the assassination of a living national leader — even a ruthless dictator — had inherent risks. But the studio seems to have gotten much more than it bargained for by bankrolling what it hoped would be an edgy comedy.
The exact specifics of Kim Jong-un's death have required a long back-and-forth between the movie's creators, Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and Sony executives in two continents. On Sept. 26, Rogen sent an email to Amy Pascal, SPE's co chairman, and Doug Belgrad, the president of SPE's Motion Picture Group, regarding Kim's death. The subject is "Hey guys! New head shot!" and in it, Rogen describes some alterations to the climax, which you can see below.