Did they learn nothing from Zoolander?

Did they learn nothing from Zoolander?

The website Five Thirty Eight estimates that Sony stands to lose $100 million from scrapping release of The Interview over terrorist threats (the site also points out that the studio could recoup some of this if they released the film on Video On demand, but Sony said they wouldn't do that either). Of course that’s just money, and doesn't include the prestige Sony would have gotten when The Interview was festooned with dozens of Oscar nomination and Golden Globe award nominations.

Okay, maybe that last part is fantasy, as the closest Seth Rogan will get to an Oscar is when James Franco lets him see his notice that he got an Oscar nomination (I could be wrong; I still have trouble believing Jonah Hill’s obituary will start with, “The two-time Oscar nominee died from . . .”).  But still it is a big hit to a studios bottom line when they finance and promote a film for holiday release and they have to pull the plug at the last minute.

The sad thing is, this all could have been avoided.  In his review of the film Zoolander, Roger Ebert noted he felt some discomfort at the movie’s plot about an assassination attempt on the prime minister of Malaysia over child labor laws. Ebert had a simple solution—it’s a comedy, so make up some funny-sounding country name (something ending in –istan would work now) and run with it.  No one would get upset if you threatened to kill the fictional leader of a fictional country.

Heaven knows there is enough material out there.  Make the fictional leader look like a composite of world dictators; give him Kim Jong-un’s diminutive stature, Saddam Hussein’s mustache, Idi Amin’s girth, and hilarity ensues.  Make a film about North Korea and lose $100 million in profits.

Obviously, the current leader of North Korea lacks his father’s sense of humor.  Kim Jong-il didn't raise any issues with the negative (but still somewhat sympathetic) portrayal of him in Team America: World Police.  There was nary a complaint about the portrayal, or the fact that the Academy snubbed the movie for an Oscar nomination for his character’s song, “I’m Rone-ry.” 

So, memo to Sony executives: in the future, don’t make films about anyone who could be mistaken for a real person.  Ever.  No character in a Judd Apatow film could ever be mistaken for a real person, and his films not only make money, but they aren't threatened by terrorists (unless you count the reviews for Funny People).