The Interview - Official teaser

Actor Seth Rogen has hit back at North Korean officials who described his new film about Kim Jong-un as an "act of war", saying he hopes the Pyongyang dictator enjoys the movie.

The Interview, which also stars James Franco and chart a fictitious attempt to assassinate Kim, has incurred the wrath of the Pyongyang regime, which described it as "reckless US provocative insanity" and "undisguised terrorism", while promising a "resolute and merciless" response.

However Rogen, who co-wrote the film's script, seemed to be unperturbed by North Korea's reaction to his film.

He tweeted: "Apparently Kim Jong Un plans on watching #theinterview. I hope he likes it!!"

In the film, which is due to be released on 14 October, Rogen and Franco play two talk show hosts who are recruited by the CIA to assassinate Kim.

Rogen said the film was conceived through conversations about how it might be possible for journalists with access to world leaders to carry out assassinations.

"We read as much as we could that was available on the subject," he told Yahoo Movies. "We talked to people in the government whose job it is to associate with North Korea, or be experts on it."

It is not the first time North Korea has been mocked by comedians on the big screen.

A decade ago, "Team America: World Police" used puppets to lampoon Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, memorably featuring him singing about his loneliness.

Kim Jong Il also popped up as a waiter in NBC's "Thirty Rock" albeit one who claimed to be "the greatest waiter of all time."

North Korea