'The Interview' Made 5 Times More Money in Digital Downloads Than In Theaters

Could this be the dawn of a new method of releasing movies?

"The Interview" looked to be dead in the water after controversy and terrorist threats caused Sony to at first cancel and then severely limit its theatrical release. The Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy was originally set for wide release, but ended up screening in only a select number of independent theaters.

On its opening day (December 25), "The Interview" performed admirably on a per-screen basis as moviegoers sold out many screenings thanks to a combination of curiosity and patriotism. However, even with that turnout, the movie only made roughly $1 million on opening day, and dropped by about 50% the following day.

Over the four-day weekend, "The Interview" only took in about $2.8 million in theaters.

However, the movie has a bright spot in its rather successful online release. On the same day it was released in theaters, "The Interview" became available to purchase or rent online through Google Play, YouTube and other service for an average of a little under $10 per rental.

Through those sales, "The Interview" earned another $15 million, five times more than it made in theaters. That marks Sony's most successful online release in history.

While this is unlikely to change the way that movies are currently released, it does lend validity to VOD releases in an increasingly on-demand world. With the right publicity, low-budget films could turn a profit for studios even in skipping a theatrical release entirely.