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Paramount is now canceling screenings of Team America: World Police

Paramount is now canceling screenings of Team America: World Police

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Just a day after Sony decided to cancel the debut of the embattled comedy The Interview, Paramount Pictures is pulling Team America: World Police from release. The Alamo Drafthouse, which had scheduled Team America as a fill-in for the Seth Rogen comedy after yesterday's development, confirmed that its December 27th screening had been canceled, as did Cleveland Cinemas, which had booked the film for a 2015 midnight screening way back in October.

From South Park masterminds Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Team America: World Police is a 2004 satire sending up action movies, complete with the memorable musical number "America (Fuck Yeah!)". The villain of that film was North Korea and Kim Jong-il — the father of current dictator Kim Jong-un — and seemed an appropriate replacement in the wake of Sony's decision. Whether the movie's mocking take on US swagger is funnier or sadder after the latest news is up to personal opinion.

While it's not clear what precise concerns prompted the studio to pull the film (Paramount declined to comment) we do know that Sony's release plans rapidly unraveled after hackers threatened physical violence on theater locations that showed The Interview. While releasing that film online could have allowed Sony to take a stand and also recoup some of its investment, the studio announced last night that it had no plans to release The Interview in any format whatsoever. At the time of this writing, Team America: World Police is still available online, with active listings appearing on Netflix, iTunes and Amazon. We'll keep watch and bring you any further updates.

Update, 4.56PM ET: Added that Paramount declined to comment.