Epix has not pulled Katie Couric’s gun documentary, but it has removed the film from its website per an earlier distribution agreement, according to a company spokeswoman.
“We did not pull the doc and there is nothing going on other than the distribution plan negotiated in January,” Nora Ryan told the Washington Examiner’s media desk Tuesday.
“As of today, the doc moves out of the premium window – off of EPIX – and into a transactional and [electronic sell-through] window. This is part of the original agreement struck when we acquired the doc,” she added. “The distribution strategy allowed us to premiere the doc on the network and also preserve maximum value for the transactional VOD and EST windows that follow.”
Social media was set off Tuesday after a report surfaced alleging the entertainment company had pulled the Couric documentary “Under the Gun.”
The report came after the film became unavailable on its Epix landing page, and was replaced with a headline reading, “This movie is currently not playing on Epix.”
The documentary, which Couric narrated and executive produced, drew sharp criticism last week after audio showed she and director Stephanie Soechtig had edited an interview with gun rights activists.
“Under the Gun” features a scene wherein Couric supposedly stumped members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League with a simple question about background checks.
But uncut audio of the interview, which was obtained first by the gun blog Ammoland and published later by the Washington Free Beacon, revealed members of the group were far better prepared to answer her question than the film suggested.
Epix, which acquired the documentary after it debuted this year at the Sundance Film Festival, has stood by the film, and responded to criticism last week by inviting viewers to watch the film.
“‘Under the Gun’ is a critically-acclaimed documentary that looks at the polarizing and politicized issue of gun violence, a subject that elicits strong reactions from people on both sides,” the group said at the time in a statement provided to the Examiner.
“EPIX stands behind Katie Couric, director Stephanie Soechtig, and their creative and editorial judgment. We encourage people to watch the film and decide for themselves,” the note added.
Couric and Soechtig also downplayed criticism last week, and explained at the time that the doctored interview was meant to be thought-provoking.
“My intention was to provide a pause for the viewer to have a moment to consider this important question before presenting the facts on Americans’ opinions on background checks,” Soechtig said last week in a statement to the Examiner’s media desk. “I never intended to make anyone look bad and I apologize if anyone felt that way.”
Couric also told the Examiner last week she was “very proud of the film.”
“I support Stephanie’s statement,” she added.
However, Couric changed her tune this week, and admitted the film misrepresented gun rights activists.
“I take responsibility for a decision that misrepresented an exchange I had with members of the Virginia Citizens Defense League,” the Yahoo anchor said in a statement released late Monday evening. “My question … regarding the ability of convicted felons and those on the terror watch list to legally obtain a gun, was followed by an extended pause, making the participants appear to be speechless.”
Though Couric claimed responsibility for the edits, her statement was also careful to point a finger in the direction of the documentary’s director, Stephanie Soechtig’s.
“When I screened an early version of the film with the director … I questioned her and the editor about the pause and was told that a ‘beat’ was added for, as she described it, ‘dramatic effect,’ to give the audience a moment to consider the question,” Couric said Monday.
“I went back and reviewed it and agree that those eight seconds do not accurately represent their response,” she added. “I regret that those eight seconds were misleading and that I did not raise my initial concerns more vigorously.”
