North Korea is not pleased about a new American comedy centered around a plot to assassinate its leader, Kim Jong Un. North Korea warns that if the United States does not block the movie's release, it would be considered an "act of war" that will not be tolerated.

"The Interview," starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, tells the fictional story of a producer and talk-show host who book an exclusive interview with the dictator and are instructed by the CIA to assassinate him upon arrival. 

Korean-American actor Randall Park portrays Kim Jong Un.

An unidentified spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in state media that releasing "The Interview" will cause the U.S. government to face "stern" and "merciless" retaliation. The spokesman later went on to call the movie "reckless U.S. provocative insanity."

Seth Rogen mocked the controversy via - What else? - Twitter. He tweeted, "Apparently, Kim Jong Un plans on watching 'The Interview.' I hope he likes it!!"

Read more on the controversy here.

Reach Senior Entertainment Editor Kathy Zerbib here. Follow her on Twitter here.