The chain of events brought on by green-lighting the movie, The Interview in which the US dispatched two actors (James Franco and Seth Rogen) to assassinate North Korean leader, Kim Jon-Un, have been, to say the least unexpectedly fierce. It has been three weeks since a group of hackers started releasing a huge cache of data, films, and email stolen from Sony Pictures and it just keeps getting worse. The group has now threatened theaters that show the film, due to go into wide release on Christmas Day. (See bottom of post.)
Warning
We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places “The Interview” be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to.
Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made.
The world will be full of fear.
Remember the 11th of September 2001.
We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time.
(If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)
Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
All the world will denounce the SONY.
Yikes! But the North Korean government is not taking credit for the threats or hacking. In a video, a spokesperson says that they could care less what Sony does, but that the hack was “a righteous act” and “just punishment for its evil doings.” After reviewing the statement, the Department of Homeland Security issued this;
“We are still analyzing the credibility of these statements, but at this time there is no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters within the United States.”
Well anyway, yesterday Sony cancelled the New York premiere of the film and it’s been speculated that it may be pulled altogether. If that happens (and even if it doesn’t) the corporate hack seems likely to be among the most expensive ever – along with the recent Target breach (cost; $110 million) and Sony’s other disasters, 2011 Playstation hack (about $170 million). Some estimates of the corporate damage have been put at $150 to $300 million, meaning this hack might wipe out half of the Sony pictures’s 2013 profits.
Amy Pascal, the head of Sony Pictures who greenlit The Interview is still at the center of this issue after the insensitive comments about half of the town and (also President Obama) were dumped and have had everyone’s mouths hanging open since. Several top executives now question her future at the company. It looks like Pascal should start looking for new work on another planet other than Hollywood, especially if the hackers deliver on their Christmas promise. For a full list of all of the repercussions of this film fiasco, go here.
UPDATE: Sony Pictures made it official and has officially scrapped its release plans. Here’s the statement:
“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 has been the victim of an unprecedented criminal assault against our employees, our customers, and our business. Those who attacked us stole our intellectual property, private emails, 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. We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public. We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome.”
(via New York Magazine & THR)
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