A security guard stands at the entrance of United Artists theater during the premiere of the film "The Interview" in Los Angeles, December 11, 2014.
Kevork Djansezian | Reuters

Sony announced on Wednesday that it had cancelled next week's release of the controversial film "The Interview", aftertheater chains said they would not show the movie.

The group which claimed responsibility for hacking Sony Pictures earlier this month demanded that the release of the comedy - which depicts an assassination plot against North Korea's leader - be called off.