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"The Interview" Hits Theaters Amid Warnings; "The Interview" Winners And Losers; The 2014 A Banner Year For Pope Francis; First Family's Holiday Message; CDC: Lab Tech Possibly Exposed To Ebola; $2 Million Money Grab On the Streets; FAA Calls For Drone Safety This Christmas

Aired December 25, 2014 - 14:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Pamela Brown filling in for Brooke Baldwin on this Christmas day. Great to have you along with us on this holiday.

Well, despite the threats of violence, despite cyberattacks and despite all major theater chains in America refusing to show it, Sony's "The Interview" is playing right now as we speak at some 300 movie theaters across the country.

Already the Seth Rogen, James Franco comedy about an assassination plot against North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un, appears to be drawing big crowds. Movie goers saying what it lacks in critical acclaim, it makes up for in patriotism apparently.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, this is a film I probably would not have come to see, but because of the controversy I thought we would come out to stand up for freedom of speech.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am here because I wanted to support filmmakers who were being censored by a foreign body because I don't believe that anybody should have the right to censor a work whether it's satirical or not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's not enough marijuana in the world to explain that screen play. It was hilarious. I laughed the whole time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was very funny. I laughed the whole time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that the world needs to see this. I think everybody in North Korea should be forced to watch this movie and it should change the way everybody thinks about censorship and everything. I think we just need to do it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And even the film's stars and directors celebrated the film last night by popping by a midnight screening at a West Hollywood, California Theater to thank their fans.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SETH ROGEN, ACTOR, "THE INTERVIEW": We wanted to say thank you. If it wasn't for theaters like this and people like you guys, this would not be happening right now. Thank you so much. We really appreciate it. We hope you like the movie.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The comedy premiered online yesterday available for download on YouTube, at the Google Play store, and on Xbox. It's the first time a major motion picture has ever been made available online before its theatrical release.

CNN's Rosa Flores is right outside another movie house in New York. She has been there throughout the day. So we are all curious, what's the turnout been like, Rosa?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been wonderful. The Box Office has been really busy all morning long. Some of those people that you heard from just moments ago, they walked out of this theater and were excited. Let me set the scene for you.

Because one of -- this is one of about 300 other theaters around the country. A lot of people didn't think that "The Interview" would make a movie theater because of all of the controversy.

I want to show you the movie poster. This is fresh off the presses. It just came up, possibly about an hour and a half ago. It was just posted. Here you pay your $12. You go into watch the movie. A lot of folks have done that.

They have come out and said they love the movie and they wanted laughs and got laughs and others are skeptical about the plot and skeptical about the time line of the movie. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIE JASSO, SAW, "THE INTERVIEW" IN THEATER: I certainly enjoyed it. It's not the greatest comedy ever made, but it was funny, funnier in some places than in others. I think my overwhelming conclusion is that it would have been much funnier if no one had died.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now the FBI e-mailed and called this particular theater. The NYPD also gave them a visit to let them know how to look out for suspicious activity and to also communicate that to moviegoers.

And just to give you a little insight, Pam, that woman that you just heard from, of course the other concern is hacking and people were afraid of possibly getting their identity stolen so she didn't want to pay with her credit card.

She actually asked her husband to pay with his credit card so just to give you a sense of what people are talking about here in the theater and also simply paid with cash.

BROWN: Interesting. So let's talk about that, Rosa. Because we know the hackers had warned of a, quote, "Christmas surprise" if Sony released this movie. They released that threatening message last week and major movie chains pulled out.

So give us a sense of whether or not there's any more sort of apprehension from the crowds there? Have you noticed anything else from people you've been speaking with?

FLORES: You know, this other woman, one of the things that she did mention and I want you to take a look around, this is a normal small theater here in New York City. You don't see any police presence. You see the Box Office here.

People walking up and getting tickets all day long, but they did not -- there is no police presence. That's one of the things that one woman did mention.

She would have liked to have seen some police presence just because of all of the threats and everything that had been on the news that we've been covering about these possible threats.

So that's the only thing really other than that people are more worried about hacking and possibly their identity being stolen more than actual violence inside a theater.

BROWN: And as you mentioned, though, the FBI and NYPD did communicate with that theater. Rosa Flores, thank you very much for that reporting. We appreciate it.

So now that "The Interview" is hitting the big screen, will it bring in the big bucks with fewer theaters showing it and the new option of streaming it at home for less than the cost of a single ticket, can Sony still make a profit.

CNN business correspondent, Alison Kosik, joins me now -- Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, the movie, "The Interview," definitely getting plenty of attention. It's the kind of publicity Sony can't buy, but when it comes to recouping what it spent to market and make the comedy, it's questionable if Sony will come out ahead.

The movie cost about $44 million to make. According to the Hollywood web site, The Rap, marketing in the U.S. ran up the tab another $35 million and add in another $10 million for overseas and we talk about $90 million invested.

The movie is hitting the big screen, but only at a limited number of independent theaters, 300 theaters to be exact. Fewer than 2,000 to 3,000 screens the movie was supposed to premiere on.

And you can stream the movie at home on websites including Google Play and YouTube for less than the cost of a single ticket, $5.99 to rent, $14.99 to buy. So far there's interest in seeing the film. Almost all Christmas day screenings have sold out in Texas and showings here in New York City have also sold out. On Google and YouTube, "The Interview" is the number one watched movie.

But where does all this leave Sony? With all of the attention, will the company make any money off the movie? Many say it's doubtful. Peter Costa, a senior editor says he would be shocked if Sony gets back its investment.

He says you can work out how many people need to rent the movie to make it worthwhile. That would be 16.7 million rentals if the studio was getting 100 percent of the proceeds from each sale. The web sites are also going to get a cut.

And then you have some people concerned that they could be hacked if they watch the movie at home. Cybersecurity experts say relax. That won't happen.

The movie itself is not likely to be tainted with malicious software or malware. Grab your popcorn and feel free to see the movie you almost weren't allowed to see -- Pamela.

BROWN: Alison Kosik, thank you so much. So who are the winners and losers in this true Hollywood story? From Sony Picture Studios to the hackers who threatened the movie houses if "The Interview" was released, who gained the upper hand here?

There's been so many developments in this saga. CNN global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott joins us live from Washington. She's been following all these developments.

So Elise, curious to know what your opinion is on this, who do you think were the winners and losers in all of this?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, I know the movie is coming out now and some people say all publicity is good publicity. I think Sony is a little bit of a loser here. From the hacking itself to all the threatening e-mails to those embarrassing e- mails that came out that Sony executives were writing.

I think that Sony's reputation has been really damaged. They face rebukes by President Obama and the industry as a whole. It did release the movie, but whether it's going to be able to make the money back also seems to be questionable.

So I think Sony's reputation certainly is a bit damaged right now. If Seth Rogan and James Franco movie did come out so they're a bit of a winner. I think the North Korean started out as a winner here.

Listen, this is what North Koreans love. They love attention. They love to rattle the cage of the international community. They were able to stand up to America and get this film released.

Now that the film has been released, it's a little bit embarrassing to the leader, Kim Jong-Un, and whether the people will see that, that remains doubtful.

But certainly his reputation in the world stage is even further embarrassing and then also he needs to deal now with the repercussions from the United States.

President Obama has promised action against North Korea for being responsible for that hacking. I think President Obama comes out on top right now. Those racist e-mails by Sony executives were not nice about him.

He came back with a stunning rebuke of Sony for pulling the film. Kind of forcing executives to decide to release it and now President Obama has to deal with North Korea.

So whether this will be a confrontation or not that dogs President Obama for the coming months, right now he's a winner. He could be a loser in the months ahead.

PEREIRA: It's very clear that this story is still being written, Elise. I know you have been following North Korea. Some people will say North Korea can be very unpredictable here.

We know hackers had promised a surprise on Christmas day if the movie was shown. What do you think will happen with North Korea? Do you think that this will escalate and that they will try to retaliate?

LABOTT: Well, I think that what experts have said that this shows that a lot of people underestimated North Korea's abilities when it came time to hacking. In the last several months they were hacking into South Korean banking and nuclear facilities.

Now they are hacked into this major studio in the United States and around the world. I think that -- we haven't seen the last of North Korea on this. Will it be from a hacking? I don't know.

Certainly North Korea takes these opportunities and they want to keep the international community on the back foot and so whether we'll see a missile test or a nuclear test, certainly I think officials in the next coming months are expecting some kind of provocation from North Korea.

They can't stay quiet for that long. They love the holidays. They think everybody is looking the other way and enjoying their time with families. That's when they like to pounce.

BROWN: All right, let's talk about the fact that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security sent out a joint intelligence bulletin. This happened yesterday. What do we know about that?

LABOTT: As you know from talking to your sources, Pamela, it's kind of like a warning. You see that hackers, "Guardians of Peace," promised further hacking. North Koreans promised retaliation.

And then there also U.S. is worried about copycats. That's why this bulletin went out to law enforcements around the country to be alert. No specific threats out there just yet. BROWN: In talking to my sources, I think the biggest concern would be the cyberthreat versus a physical attack of some sort. Elise Labott, thank you so much for that reporting. Happy holidays.

LABOTT: You too.

BROWN: And coming up, Pope Francis' Christmas message appealing for an end to conflict around the globe. His traditional Christmas blessing right after the break.

President Obama celebrating Christmas in Hawaii, how the first family is planning to spend the holiday right after a quick break. Stay with us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIRST SGT. RICH REYNOLDS: Hi. This is Chris Reynolds, Fox Company III of the 126th Aviation Station here at Camp Yun Kuwait. I like to give a shout-out to my family and friends back home in Massachusetts. Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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BROWN: Well, this morning, Pope Francis reminded the world that many people are suffering this Christmas day. The pope addressed tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square during his traditional Christmas blessing. He says conflicts in the Middle East are driving too many people from their homes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS (through translator): I ask him, the savior of the world, to look over our brothers and sisters in Iraq and in Syria, who for such a long time have been suffering the effects of ongoing conflict and who together with those belonging to other ethnic groups are suffering the brutal persecution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Pope Francis has used his role as a spiritual leader of all Catholics in the world to influence spiritual and political conflicts on many fronts this year.

CNN's Vatican correspondent, Delia Gallagher, takes a look back at his busy year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a banner year for Pope Francis. Change, the pope says, happens in small steps but this year, Francis has made some pretty bold moves.

He inserted himself into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during a landmark trip to the Middle East. He touched a wall that divides Israel and the Palestinian territories and bringing their leaders together for prayer back at the Vatican.

He played peace maker in an historic deal to open relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I want to thank his holiness, Pope Francis, whose moral example shows us the importance of pursuing the world as it should be.

GALLAGHER: Last year, he shook the church with a few simple words. Who am I to judge, when asked about gay priests? This year, the pontiff is not afraid of friction. He thinks it's a sign of the kind of openness that can lead to making the right decisions.

I would be worried and saddened, he said, if there wasn't animated discussion. Plan to see the pope more in 2015. Come September, Francis will visit the United States.

REVEREND THOMAS ROSICA, ENGLISH ASSISTANT TO HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE: He's coming not to rally troops to become crusaders but he's coming to encourage those who are in marriage and who feel assail from all sides, I'm here to support you.

He's not coming to condemn those who have failed or condemn those living in other unions or relationships that are not traditional marriage. He's coming to give people hope.

GALLAGHER: The highly anticipated trip would include stops in New York, Washington, and Mexico.

ROSICA: There's always the element of what I call, the Franciscan surprise. Many people are in play.

GALLAGHER: The first scheduled trip of 2015 is to Sri Lanka and Philippines in January once again showing his compassion for the poor rather than the powerful.

So far, Francis has proven in big ways and small to be pope of the unexpected. No doubt in the coming year, he'll continue to keep everyone on their toes. Delia Gallagher, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: Delia Gallagher, thank you for that. The first family is spending the holidays in Hawaii today, but President Obama and the first lady took time out to wish Americans a very Merry Christmas.

And they also delivered a special message asking the nation to give back to our servicemen and women.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Merry Christmas, everybody. We're not going to take too much of your time because today is about family and being together with the ones you love. And luckily for me that means I get help on the weekly address as well. MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: The holidays at the White House are such a wonderful time of year. We fill the halls with decorations, Christmas trees and carolers. And this year, we invited more than 65,000 people to join us. Our theme was a children's winter wonderland and Americans young and old had a chance to come together and celebrate the season.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: And today our family will join millions across the country in celebrating the birth of Jesus, the birth of not just a baby in a manger, but a message that changed the world. To reach out to the sick, the hungry, the troubled and above all else, to love one another as we would love be loved ourselves.

MICHELLE OBAMA: We hope that this holiday season will be a chance for us to live out that message, to bridge our differences and lift up our family, friends and neighbors and reconnect with the values that bind us together and as a country that means celebrating and honoring those who served and sacrificed for all of us, our troops, veterans and their families.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: CNN White House correspondent, Michelle Kosinski, is traveling with the president this Christmas day. Yesterday, Michelle, we know President Obama hit the golf course with the Malaysian prime minister. So will today be a working holiday for him?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Possibly. I mean, the press office doesn't put out his schedule while he's on vacation ahead of time. There's a core of press that travels with him wherever he goes. We'll have to wait and see.

But traditionally he does visit the troops. Hundreds of U.S. Marines stationed here. He usually goes to the base, takes some pictures with them. He may say a few words and help give out turkeys for Christmas dinner.

So we expect him to spend some time with the troops. We're just not sure yet. That would definitely reflect the message that we heard there from the president and first lady emphasizing that combat mission in Afghanistan is coming to an end in a matter of days.

Reminding Americans as they put it to reconnect with the values that bind us together as Americans, and take some time, if you can, to honor U.S. troops -- Pam.

BROWN: All right. Michelle Kosinski, thank you so much for that. We appreciate it. Happy holidays to you.

Up next right here on NEWSROOM, the CDC says the public is not at risk after one of its technicians was possibly exposed to the Ebola virus. How could something like this happen? That story right after a quick break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CHIEF MASTER SGT. NICOLE CHALEVA: Hi. This is Chief Master Sgt. Nicole Chaleva stationed in Qatar. I'd like to say happy holidays and season greetings to my friends in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I miss you all. Hope to see you soon. Take care. Have a wonderful holiday season.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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BROWN: Two reminders for you. The threat from Ebola has not faded away. First, the World Health Organization updating the death toll from the virus so here's what we know now. Ebola killed nearly 7,600 people. Of that number, 366 were healthcare workers.

And now word of a new infection here in the U.S. a lab technician moving the virus between labs and now they are looking at three weeks of monitoring for that lab tech.

Joe Johns joins me live from Washington with more on this. Joe, tell me what happened here?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, this apparently happened on Monday and was discovered on Tuesday. The CDC said a small amount of material from an experiment was mistakenly transferred from one lab to another and it may have contained live Ebola virus.

Material was in a sealed plate and CDC says it should not have been moved from point A to point B. CDC says we're talking about one individual who is being monitored and that technician has no symptoms of the illness -- Pamela.

BROWN: So you say one individual is being monitored. Are there concerns that the exposure could be wider than this one lab tech?

JOHNS: Well, they are counting for that. CDC says others who entered the lab will be assessed for possible exposure but only one person will be monitored at this point. They don't believe anyone else in the lab could have been exposed so there's minimal danger to the public at this point.

BROWN: Let's hope not. Of course the obvious question here, Joe, is CDC changing protocols here to prevent this from happening again?

JOHNS: Dr. Tom Frieden, we know him as director of CDC issued statement suggesting he's taking this thing very seriously. He said he's troubled by the incident in the laboratory and monitoring the health of that one technician who could have possibly been exposed.

He also said he's directed a full review of every aspect of the incident so that CDC takes all the necessary measures. Normally when something like this happens, the lab is closed where the problem occurred.

And they decontaminate it, launch an investigation and notify everybody up and down the chain. The CDC says all of that has been done. The question is whether any other measures need to be put into the procedure chain -- Pamela.

BROWN: Yes, absolutely. Joe Johns, thank you so much.

Up next, the past year has been dominated by international headlines from Ebola as we just discussed to ISIS. Our Anderson Cooper counts down the top ten international stories of 2014 right after this break.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. Just want to say Merry Christmas to my family and my newborn, who is around with mom. Everyone else, Merry Christmas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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