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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Christmas release of The Interview cancelled by Sony

The Interview: pulled.

Sony Pictures has cancelled the Christmas release of a film at the centre of a hacking scandal after terrorist threats to cinemagoers and a decision by major movie theatre groups to cancel screenings in the US.
A group calling itself Guardians of Peace (GOP) published an online message on Tuesday warning cinemagoers to stay away from screenings of The Interview, starring Seth Rogen and James Franco, which depicts the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The threats led five of biggest cinema chains in the US to drop the film. A federal investigation is also under way.
The decision to cancel the release marks the climax of a torrid month for Sony. GOP has also claimed responsibility for a huge hack on Sony’s computer systems in November, which led to the release of thousands of confidential documents revealing executive pay structure, corporate profits, unreleased films, personal email 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 theatergoers,” Sony Pictures said in a statement.
Sony’s decision comes amid new reports that the US has determined North Koreawas directly responsible for the hack, a claim the regime has previously denied.
Anonymous administration officials briefed a number of media outlets on that conclusion – but at the same time said the White House was debating whether to publicly accuse North Korea, according to the New York Times. The officials who have spoken to reporters have thus far provided no evidence for the claim
The comments mark a major change in direction for the federal investigation into the hack, which could have severe diplomatic ramifications. Last week a senior FBI cyber security official said the agency had been unable to confirm links between Pyongyang and the hackers.
Sony Pictures 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”.
“We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome,” the statement continued.
According to the film database website IMDB, The Interview is scheduled for release in the UK on 6 February, and throughout Europe in late January. It is unclear if Sony plans to delay the release in other countries as well, and the company did not respond to requests for clarification from the Guardian.
The threats sparked an investigation by the US Department of Homeland Security, but anonymous federal law enforcement officials quoted by the Los Angeles Times said there was “no credible intelligence” of a plot to target cinemas.
The scope of the hacking has also led former Sony Pictures employees to launch a class-action suit under data protection laws and entertainment lawyers have saidthe legal implications could last for years to come.
North Korea has denied responsibility for the attack, but said it could be “a righteous deed of the supporters and sympathisers” of the country.
California senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate select committee on intelligence, described the threats as “unconscionable”.
Feinstein said the hack was “only the latest example of the need for serious legislation to improve the sharing of information between the private sector and the government to help companies strengthen cybersecurity”.
In the wake of controversy surrounding The Interview, another comedy set in North Korea has been reportedly dropped by its producers. Pyongyanga film commissioned by New Regency and set to star Steve Carell playing a character accused of espionage by the regime, will no longer go into production, according to Deadline.




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