'The Interview' makes $15 million online

Seth Rogen and James Franco's comedy The Interview made $15 million online during its first four days of release, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced late Sunday.

Through Saturday, including all of its online distribution platforms, The Interview had been rented or purchased online more than 2 million times, according to a Sony media release.

It ranks as the No. 1 online performance ever for a Sony film.

Along with a release in 330 independent theaters on Christmas Day, The Interview was made available online at 10 a.m. PT on Christmas Eve to rent on Google Play, YouTube Movies, Microsoft's Xbox Video and the dedicated website www.seetheinterview.com for $5.99.

The Interviewalso made $2.8 million in theaters during the four-day release period.

Rogen made it clear that the big victory was releasing the comedy at all: The Interview was initially pulled from theaters in response to threats from cyber-terrorists because of its portrayal of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

"I'm so grateful that the movie found its way into theaters, and I'm thrilled that people actually went out and saw it," Rogen said in a statement released Sunday. "The fact that people actually left their houses when they had the option of staying home is amazing."