A fictional plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un drew throngs of moviegoers Thursday, as it became an unlikely symbol of free speech thanks to hacker threats that nearly scuppered its release.

The future of Sony's "The Interview" had been in doubt after the entertainment giant said it was canceling the release following an embarrassing cyber attack on its corporate network and threats against patrons. 

Morocco has banned cinemas from showing the biblical epic "Exodus: Gods and Kings" just one day before the Hollywood blockbuster was due to be screened, media reports said Thursday.

It was unclear why officials decided to ban the movie which had been given the green light by the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM), which implements all rules concerning the industry.

Raunchy comedy "The Interview" -- a movie about a fictional plot to kill North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un which has enraged Pyongyang -- opened in U.S. theaters Thursday, a move its star attributed to public pressure.

Sony's "The Interview" has been a hacking target, a punchline and a political lightning rod. Now, with its release online at the same time it debuts in theaters, it has a new role: a test for a new kind of movie release.

"The Interview" stars Seth Rogen and James Franco as journalists tasked by the CIA with killing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Its Christmas Day release was canceled by Sony after threats of violence by hackers linked to North Korea. But after an outcry, the release was reinstated in some independent theaters and now, through a few online video services.

A Los Angeles judge refused Wednesday to reopen the case of filmmaker Roman Polanski, who pleaded guilty in 1977 to raping a 13-year-old but left the United States before sentencing.

Judge James Brandlin, from the superior court of Los Angeles, turned down a request from Polanski's lawyers, who wanted a new hearing to try and close the case on procedural grounds.

Kristina Pimenova has been dubbed "the most beautiful girl in the world" but her mother says the eight-year-old Russian supermodel is completely ignorant of her worldwide fame.

On catwalks since the age of three, Kristina, who models for Armani and Roberto Cavalli, is famed for her big blue eyes and bewitching smile, with over 2.5 million fans on Facebook and nearly 500,000 followers on Instagram.

Entertainment giant Sony on Wednesday streamed  "The Interview," the movie that has outraged North Korea for lampooning dictator Kim Jong-Un, giving an early online Christmas present to U.S. viewers.

The madcap, irreverent R-rated comedy was available for rent in the United States from 1800 GMT on several platforms, a day before a limited release in about 200 cinemas on Christmas Day.

Hong Kong action film star Jackie Chan said he feels shame for his son, who has been indicted by Beijing prosecutors on a drug charge and could be jailed for up to three years.

The remarks, reported Wednesday by China's official Xinhua News Agency, came two days after authorities announced the indictment against Jaycee Chan, 32, who is charged with sheltering others to use drugs.

In Egypt, where tattoos are widely considered taboo, organizers have held a convention to challenge stereotypes and show-off the ink designs as an art form.

Enthusiasts met over the weekend in the city's leafy upscale Zamalek neighborhood to check out the latest designs and watch the pros at work at the 2014 Cairo Tattoo Expo.

A Colorado company lost its latest fight against Disney over the rights to Marvel's iconic comic book characters Tuesday when a federal appeals court ruled it could not claim ownership to certain superheroes such as Spider-Man and Iron Man.

In its decision, a panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal judge's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Stan Lee Media, which sought profits from the $5.5 billion the company says Disney made from movies and merchandise featuring Marvel's superheros.