‘The Interview’ tickets go on sale in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs

FORT MYERS, Fla. –  Wednesday marked the first day people could pre-order their tickets for “The Interview” at Edison Park 8 Cinemas in Fort Myers and it saw a steady stream of eager customers.

“I’m here to buy tickets for Saturday to see ‘The Interview’ because this is America,” said Fort Myers resident Vollen Loucks.

The movie, which depicts an assassination attempt on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was pulled by most theaters across the country amidst fear of terrorist threats.

Edison Park 8 and Prado Stadium 12 in Bonita Springs are the only theaters in Southwest Florida that are showing the movie when it officially opens Christmas Day. Both theaters reported good advanced ticket sales Christmas Eve.

“I felt compelled (to buy tickets) because the American people shouldn’t be just hiding and harboring all this fear.
Let’s not make this a precedent, let’s get up and go support the movie theaters,” said Keith Warner, who drive down from Punta Gorda to get advanced tickets.
“Today has been very exhilarating. I think this has given us a tremendous sense of pride and patriotism,” said Edison Park 8 owner Jay Suarez, who said they sold more than 50 tickets in the first hour and a half.

However, ticket sales may not be as high as Suarez had hoped for. Sony announced Wednesday that the movie was available to rent or buy online through websites like YouTube and Google Play.

Suarez told WINK News he thought releasing the movie online so early is unfair to the theaters who chose to show the film.