Sony reverses course, releases "The Interview"

"The Interview" is hitting theaters -- whether North Korea likes it or not.

In an unusual alliance between small, art-house theaters and low-key college town cinemas, the Seth Rogen-James Franco film will be released after all.

This coming a week after Sony pulled the film -- which portrays the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un -- from wide release after a much-publicized cyber-attack, widely blamed on the reclusive Communist dictatorship and a skittish response from several major theater chains.

But on Tuesday, Sony announced it would allow select independent theaters -- like Cinema Village in Manhattan -- to show the film on Christmas Day, its originally-planned release date.

Lee Peterson is the cinema's manager...

(SOUNDBITE) (English) LEE PETERSON, MANAGER OF CINEMA VILLAGE, SAYING:

"Obviously we would like to make money off of the movie as we would with any movie, but it's important to take a stand about freedom, freedom of speech