North Korea: Upcoming comedy an ‘act of war’

North Korea said Wednesday that a forthcoming American comedy about a plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un should be regarded as an “act of war.”

An unidentified spokesman for North Korea’s foreign ministry warned in state media about the consequences of the movie’s release without naming the film, The Associated Press reports. 

{mosads}The spokesman was clearly referring to “The Interview,” starring James Franco and Seth Rogen, which is scheduled to hit U.S. theaters in October. They play celebrity journalists who land an interview with North Korea’s leader, but then the CIA recruits them as assassins.

If the U.S. government doesn’t block the film’s release, the foreign ministry’s spokesman said the U.S. will face “stern” and “merciless” retaliation. The film would be considered an “act of war that we will never tolerate,” the spokesman added.

The “reckless U.S. provocative insanity,” the spokesman said, has launched “a gust of hatred and rage” in North Korea.