Sony hackingSony cancels Christmas release of “The Interview”
Sony Pictures announced it has cancelled the Christmas release of “The Interview,” the a film at the center of a hacking campaign, after dire threats to moviegoers and a decision by major movie theater groups to cancel screenings in the United States. “Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private e-mails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale — all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like,” the company said in a statement.
Sony Pictures announced it has cancelled the Christmas release of “The Interview,” the a film at the center of a hacking campaign, after dire threats to moviegoers and a decision by major movie theater groups to cancel screenings in the United States.
A group calling itself Guardians of Peace (GOP) published an online message on Tuesday warning moviegoers to stay away from screenings of the movie, which depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (see “Sony hackers threaten attacks against movie goers who plan to see ‘The Interview’,” HSNW, 17 December 2014).
The New York Times reports that the threats led five of biggest cinema chains in the United States to drop the film. A federal investigation into the threats was under way.
Sony’s decision to cancel the movie release ends a month of nothing but trouble for the company. Last month, GOP has claimed responsibility for hacking Sony’s computer systems and releasing thousands of confidential documents revealing executive pay structure, corporate profits, unreleased films, personal e-mail correspondence, and employee social security numbers.
“In light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film The Interview, we have decided not to move forward with the planned December 25 theatrical release. We respect and understand our partners’ decision and, of course, completely share their paramount interest in the safety of employees and theater-goers,” Sony Pictures said in a statement.
The company described the hack as an “unprecedented criminal assault” and a “brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public.”
“Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private e-mails, and sensitive and proprietary material, and sought to destroy our spirit and our morale — all apparently to thwart the release of a movie they did not like,” the statement continued.
“We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”
