NEW YORK (AP) — The top theater chains in North America have dropped "The Interview" after hackers threatened terrorist attacks at theaters showing the comedy, effectively squashing the Christmas Day release of the film.

Regal Cinemas, AMC and Cinemark have each pulled the movie. In a statement, Regal said it was delaying any showings of "The Interview" because of "the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats."

Hackers calling themselves Guardians of Peace on Tuesday threatened moviegoers with violence reminiscent of the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

Sony did not immediately comment on the news Wednesday. On Tuesday, the studio told exhibitors that the company understood if exhibitors pulled the film in light of the threats.

The country's fourth largest chain, Carmike, pulled its scheduled showing of the film Tuesday.