Two Million Watch 'The Interview' Online as North Korea Envoy Calls Movie 'Unpardonable'

Underlining the old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity, more than 2 million watched "The Interview" online through Dec. 27, ABC News reported.

The company record comes in the wake of Sony Pictures' major hacking incident and was accompanied by success via traditional distribution channels, as well: Hundreds of theatrical screenings of "The Interview" were sold out on Christmas Day, and the film brought in more than $15 million through the first four days of the holiday weekend.

"It was essential for our studio to distribute this movie, especially given the assault on our business and on our staff," Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton said in a video statement.

The company had originally canceled the theatrical release of "The Interview," which mocks North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un, after hackers warned of a Sept. 11-style attack on movie theaters. The FBI and the U.S. State Department have accused Kim's regime of being behind the attacks and threats, a charge the regime in Pyongyang has denied.

Through diplomats, however, North Korea has criticized the movie's release and said it considered the attack on Sony "righteous."

On Wednesday, a North Korean envoy told The Associated Press that "The Interview" represented an "unpardonable mockery of our sovereignty and dignity of our supreme leader."

The evidence pointing to the Hermit Kingdom, though, is not entirely conclusive, former FBI Special Agent Brad Garrett warned.

"The malware (the hackers have) used, (Pyongyang has) used before -- but so have other people. The servers they've used, they've used before -- but also so have other people," Garrett told ABC News.

At a production cost of $44 million, "The Interview" had been expected to bring in at least $20 million during its opening holiday, assuming a wide release, Fortune noted, but after large movie theater chains refused to screen the movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco in the wake of the threats, Sony opted for a limited release and a $5.99 video-on-demand rental option on YouTube, Google Play and similar sites starting Dec. 24.