Team America Pulled From Theatres Amid Sony Row

Screenings of the comedy Team America: World Police have been cancelled in some US theatres after Sony (Swiss: SONC.SW - news) dropped the release of The Interview amid threats.

Team America is a 2004 puppet film which parodies former North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il. The plot involves a US paramilitary force trying to foil a terrorist plot by the late dictator.

Cleveland's Capitol Theatre said its long-planned Team America screening was cancelled by Paramount Pictures, the studio that released the film.

Capitol Theatre had booked the film in October, intending it as a 10th anniversary midnight showing.

Texas' Alamo Drafthouse said it had to pull its plans to screen Team America on 27 December "due to circumstances beyond our control".

Atlanta (BSE: ATLANTA.BO - news) 's Plaza Atlanta said in a tweet: "Team America World Police pulled from all theatres as per Paramount Pictures".

Sony Pictures on Wednesday cancelled the release of the Seth Rogen, James Franco comedy The Interview because of terrorist threats by a hacking group believed to be connected to North Korea.

The Interview is about two hapless journalists and a plot to assassinate Kim Jong-Un, the North Korean leader.

Sony's move sparked anger among Hollywood players , with some saying the decision set a dangerous precedent.

George Clooney has added his voice to the debate, defending Sony and saying a "good portion of the press abdicated its real duty".

"They played the fiddle while Rome burned," he said in a Q&A with Deadline.

He said: "There was a huge news story that no one was really tracking."

"Sony didn't pull the movie because they were scared; they pulled the movie because all the theatres said they were not going to run it," Clooney said.

The actor said he sent a petition to industry players asking them to "stand together" behind Sony, but, he said, "nobody signed the letter".

The White House has said the cyber-attack was being treated as a "serious national security matter", and that a "proportionate response" was being considered.

The hackers, a group that calls itself Guardian of Peace, have leaked private emails between studio executives, producers and actors including Angelina Jolie, causing embarrassment.

Sony says it has no plans to release The Interview.