Sony tells theaters they don’t have to show ‘The Interview’

LOS ANGELES — Sony Pictures Entertainment has told theater owners that they can cancel their plans to show “The Interview,” according to multiple reports.

The decision to debut the film on Dec. 25 is now with individual theater chains.

This late Tuesday development comes just hours after the hackers issued threats against theatergoers and patrons of the comedy, which depicts an assassination attempt against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

In the data dump, the hackers urged audiences to stay away from venues showing the film, invoking the memory of September 11, 2001.

The Department of Homeland Security has said that there is no credible intelligence to indicate a threat.

The National Association of Theatre Owners had no comment, while Sony and individual theater chains did not respond to requests for comment.